Slowly Slipping Away
by Sayuri-hime
Summary: Memories are slowly starting to resurface. Everything doesn't make sense to her any more…as far as she was concerned she didn't know him so what exactly is going on? Why now? SasukexOC
1. Sayuri Marihasha

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

Sayuri Marihasha

A young girl sat on the roof top of her home watching the bright orange sunrise. As the sun poked its head out of the trees that surrounded her home the birds that resided in the area began to sing filling it with their music.

"You should get ready, Lady Sayuri." A man said his face was covered by an ANBU monkey mask.

She glanced over her shoulder looking up at the ninja before turning her head back to enjoy the scene. "In a minute, Kenji..."

_In a minute' she says, soon it'll be past noon and __**I'll **__be the one in trouble._ Kenji sighed crossing his arms and shifting his weight, looking at the petite girl who sat before him.

XXX

"Team eight…" Iruka began looking at his clipboard. "…are…Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga."

_Now I won't get to be with Naruto… _Hinata thought in despair.

"Next cell…" Iruka went on "Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki…"

A blonde boy sitting next to a bright pink haired girl jumps up in to the air joy evident on his face.

_I'm doomed! _The young pink haired girl sitting next to him thought laying her head her desk.

"…Sasuke Uchiha…" Iruka continued.

"YAY!" Sakura yelled out standing up from her desk while the blonde boy took his seat back his head on the desk with the same thoughts that Sakura had not so long ago.

"…and Sayuri Marihasha"

"Huh?" both Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.

The raven haired boy next to them looked up upon hearing the name of the last member in team seven. _Sayuri…_ he wondered closing his eyes his fingers still laced under his chin.

"U-Umm, Iruka-sensei…" Sakura raised her hand to catch her teacher's attention. "I think that you made a mistake. You gave my- I mean our cell one more member."

Iruka looked down at his clipboard "No. No mistake, Sakura, your team has four members due to the large number of graduates this year.

"I don't get it." Naruto said standing up from his seat "Why does a great ninja like me have to be on the same group with a slug like Sasuke?"

"Out of the twenty eight students here Sasuke got one of the highest scores, Naruto, you got the lowest." Everyone in the room began to laugh. "To have a balanced team we put the best students with the worst students."

"But, then why do we have an extra member? If Naruto got the worst score and Sasuke and I got the best-"

"You didn't get the best score, Sakura."

"I-I didn't? But you just said that you put the best students with the worst students, and since Naruto got the lowest score I thought…" Sakura began astonished.

Iruka sighed "The student who received a perfect score was Lady Sayuri. Her written and physical exams were the best. You tested higher in the written exam, therefore Lady Sayuri more than makes up for what you lack in physical strength."

"Okay, so where is this Sayuri girl anyway?" Naruto asks taking a look around the classroom.

"Hmm…That's a very good question."

XXX

"Lady Sayuri!" A stern voice called out to the young girl who sat on the rooftop of a building in the Academy area.

"What is it?" she asked calmly taking a bite of her rice ball.

"You failed to show up for orientation, that's what!" the ninja said with an exasperated sigh.

"So?"

Frustrated the ninja squatted down next to her "All right. I gave you a chance to go by yourself and since you failed to comply with my orders I will take you to the assigned classroom after lunch is over."

"W-What, you can't do that!" She yelled out turning to glare at the ANBU.

"Forgive me but captain Ryo gave me the order that if you didn't show up for orientation that I would have to accompany you to the classroom."

"Well maybe if you had told me that earlier, I would have gone!"

XXX

Naruto poked his head out of the classroom door before Sakura began to yell at him.

"Cut it out Naruto!" Sakura began as she leaned on one of the desks.

"Why are we the only team whose teacher hasn't shown up yet?" Naruto closed the door and turned around hands crossed over his chest. "Not only that but we're missing a team member too!"

Naruto paced around the room impatiently. "And do you remember what Iruka-sensei called her? He called her _Lady_! What's up with that? He never called any other girl Lady, so why this girl? It's not like she belongs to a really rich family or something."

"Hmmm…" Sakura wondered "You're right…why did he use the honorific?"

"Just who exactly is this Sayuri anyway?" Naruto asked

"You will call her _Lady _Sayuri."

"Huh?" Naruto turns towards the door to find an ANBU standing in the door way.

The ANBU stepped aside revealing a small girl with brown hair cut short like a boys. Her eyes were two distinct colors; the right eye was dark brown while the left was light brown.

"This is where you will wait until your teacher gets here, Lady Sayuri." The ANBU said turning to the girl who nods and steps inside. "Behave." He whispered to her before walking out of the classroom gently shutting the door behind him.

The four genin listened to the ANBU's footsteps until he was gone. Sayuri turned to the other three ninja and smiled.

"Wow you're a lot shorter than I thought you'd be." Naruto smiled down at her.

"I'm ten. What's your excuse?" she replied coldly. Behind Naruto, Sakura snickered while Sasuke smirked.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Wow, not only are you short, but you're also deaf." She said covering her ears and looking away.

"ARGH! That's it! You're dead, brat!" Naruto looked ready to launch at her but Sakura managed to hold him back.

"Don't do it! That ANBU might come back."

"I don't care! That kid deserves to go down!" He tries to squirm himself out of her grip, glaring daggers at the young girl who stood calmly before him.

"Bring it on, pipsqueak. I can take you on, anytime, anywhere."

"**PIPSQUEAK? **Have you even looked at a mirror lately?"

"Naruto…stop!" Sakura said struggling to keep the blonde hothead at bay. Naruto's arms and legs flailed wildly, as if her were drowning desperate for someone to help.

Sayuri began to giggle making both ninja stop their bickering and look at her. "You're funny." Her giggling slowly turning into laughter.

Naruto eyed her suspiciously before relaxing, Sakura let go only when she believed him capable of controlling himself. Sasuke watched, with slight, but hardly visible, amazement, at how the young girls laugh managed to calm his team down.

Only when her laughter subsided did she speak again. "My name's Sayuri Marihasha, what's yours?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," he started warily. "This is Sakura Haruno, and _that _over there is _Sasuke Uchiha_" Naruto received a punch in the head curtsey of a very angry Sakura.

"Don't insult Sasuke!" She yelled while Naruto rubbed his growing bruise.

Sayuri smiled at them and bowed. "It's nice to meet you all." She scans the room before turning back to Naruto and Sakura. "Where's our sensei?" she asked the two curiously.

"Not here…obviously. The other teams have already gone off with their teachers on super cool missions, while we're left waiting here for ours. Even Iruka-sensei left!" Naruto pouted crossing his arms while looking over Sayuri's head and towards the door.

Sayuri made her way towards the desk next to Sasuke's and sat on it, completely unfazed by the long stare she had attracted from team seven's stoic ninja. She watched as Naruto proceeded to place an eraser between the two sliding doors snickering mischievously at his actions.

"Hey! What are you up to Naruto?" Sakura asked as he jumped of the chair and landing on the wooden floor.

"It's what he gets for making us wait."

"Grow up!" Sakura says resting her hands on her hips. "I want no part of it!" she says. _CHA! Stuff like this is the best!_ Inner Sakura yelled.

"Hmmf!" Sasuke who was finally paying attention to the two grunts. "No way can a jonin be caught by a simple booby trap!"

"I don't know…" Sayuri began. "I used to play those pranks on the ANBU when I was younger and they fell for every single one. They didn't see a place, such as a school or a home, inside the village as a source of possible threat. They had no reason to keep their guard up, and a jonin can't be any different."

"Not if he's a well trained jonin" Sasuke mutters in response glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

Naruto and Sakura looked at their team members a bit shocked by their little exchange. Sayuri had actually managed to get Sasuke to speak to her without even trying! But all was forgotten when they heard someone outside the room. Four heads turned to see a hand placed inside the room in order to open the door. A silver haired ninja, wearing a mask covering half of his face, headband worn at an angle covering his left eye, stepped in the eraser falling on his head with an audible plop.

"Told you so." Sayuri said covering her mouth trying to stifle her snicker.

Naruto lets out a loud laugh. "Gotcha sensei!" the blonde ninja points at his teacher mockingly.

"I'm sorry sensei; I tried to stop him but Naruto he's…" _Hook line and sinker! That was __**awesome**__ Naruto!_ Inner Sakura yells out giving him two thumbs up.

_Could this really be a jonin? _Sasuke asked himself after the spectacle he just witnessed.

"Hmm…How shall I put this?" The silver haired jonin rubs his chin as if deep in thought. "Based on my first impression, I'd have to say…" he paused and looked at the four genin before him. "I hate you!"

Upon hearing this, the four genin's faces drop to a grimace.

XXX

They sat on the stairs on top of the ninja academy. Sayuri's brown colored eyes took note of the blue sky and cotton-like clouds above them.

"Now I'd like for you to tell us a little about yourselves." Their instructor said while sitting on the railing of the roof, hands crossed, and any expression in his face invisible to the eye.

"Like what?" Naruto asked after a couple seconds of silence.

"You know…the usual. Your favorite thing…what you hate most," his visible eye closed as he shrugged. "Dreams ambitions, that sort of thing."

"Help us out here sensei. You go first." Naruto said.

"That's right; after all you are a complete stranger to us." Sakura agrees, leaning forward like readying herself for a story.

"Oh…me? My name is Kakashi Hatake. I don't have many likes or dislikes. As for my dreams for the future…they're none of your business. And I have lots of hobbies."

Sayuri blinks at her mentor, a brown eyebrow raised. "All he really told us was his name." She heard Sakura whisper; Naruto nodded his bright yellow head in agreement.

"Now it's your turn, starting with you on the right." Kakashi nods all his attention on the orange ninja before him.

"Me, right? My name is Naruto Uzumaki! What I like is instant cup ramen!" he fixed his headband slightly. "What I like even more is when Iruka sensei treats me to Ichiraku ramen! What I hate is the three minute wait after I pour in the boiling water. My dream is to become Hokage! Then all the villagers will have no choice but accept and acknowledge me!"

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow at the young boy seemingly amused. _Well hasn't he turned out interesting..._

"My hobbies are playing pranks and practical jokes, I guess." At this Kakashi ruffles his hair and nods in understanding.

_He's awfully enthusiastic about ramen, not to mention enthusiastic in general._ Sayuri smiles at him, an image of an interesting life as his team mate forming in her head.

"Next!" Kakashi's words brought her back, her attention focusing in on Sasuke who sat one stair above her.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are plenty of things I hate, not that it matters considering that there is almost nothing I like. It seems pointless to talk about dreams, that's just a word…But what I do have is ambition. I plan to restore my clan, and kill…a certain someone." The raven haired boy finishes of with an intense glare.

_Sasuke is so cool!_ Sakura thinks blushing.

_I hope it isn't me…_ Naruto thinks gulping, a bit frightened.

_Don't we have problems…_ Sayuri looks at Sasuke more closely than before. _Why does he look so familiar…?_ She wondered her eyes focusing solely on his face trying to figure it out, before feeling a cold chill run down her spine. _Uhhh…_she trembled slightly and quickly turned away.

_I suspected as much…_Kakashi becomes visibly worried and turns to Sakura "Next…"

"I'm Sakura Haruno. My favorite thing is…well it's not a thing, it's a person…" Sayuri watches as Sakura glances back at Sasuke and giggles turning a light shade of pink. "Umm…my dream is…" She turns a dark shade of red and buries her face in her hands. "My hobbies are…" she glances back at Sasuke once more and giggles the blush on her face deepening.

Sayuri tilts her head to the side, eyebrows furrowed, as she watches the pink haired konoichi with wonder and amusement asking herself if she's ok.

"What do you hate?" Kakashi asked after it was apparent that she wasn't planning to continue.

"NARUTO!" She answers snapping back to her old self.

"Ouch!" Sayuri says under her breath looking at Naruto who seemed to be in distress.

_It sounds to me that girls her age are more interested in boys than in ninjutsu. _Kakashi sighs and turns to the final member of team seven.

"The Lady…" All of them, even Sasuke, looked at the girl sitting at the very bottom of the stair case.

"Umm…I'm Sayuri Marihasha…"she started as she played with the sleeve of her outfit. "Let's see…I like apples! And taking walks around the village." she laughed. "What I hate….that's a tough one, I don't really hate any-wait…yes I do! I hate it when people call me Lady, it annoys me. Umm…my dream is…to become a strong Konoichi so that I can take back what once belonged to my clan." She scratched her head and smiled.

"I have a question for you," Kakashi says leaning in slightly.

"…Ok…"

"How old are you?"

She furrows her eyebrows before answering. "I'm ten…" her answer sounded more like a question than a fact.

_Wait…did she just…?_ Naruto thought back to when he first met her before it dawned on him. "**WHAAAT?**" Naruto yells out. "You…" he points his finger at the young girl, "…You mean that you graduated _two_ years after you got into the academy?"

"And it took you this long to realize that…you must really be some sort of idiot." Sayuri deadpanned looking away from Naruto, uninterested, making him growl.

"That's it!" he jumps at her but mere seconds before he catches her, she stands up and moves leaving him to collide face first with the cement staircase.

"That's enough you two!" Kakashi drawled in the same monotone. "Naruto sit back down, Sayuri stop instigating."

"Humph!" Both plop down on either side of Sakura crossing their arms and looking rather annoyed.

"I suppose it's too late to request a change of teams?" Sayuri asked her new teacher.

"Now why would you want to do that? If you change teams neither of you will learn to get along. Now, ignoring the little outburst, we'll begin training tomorrow."

"All right so what will be our duties?" Naruto asks enthusiastically.

"Our first mission involves only the members of our cell."

"What what what? What is it?"

_If he gets any more excited he'll fall off his seat…not that it wouldn't be funny to watch…_Sayuri thinks leaning back slightly.

"Survival training." Kakashi finally answers, making Sayuri's attention to snap back at her sensei.

"What?" "Survival training?" both Naruto and Sayuri ask simultaneously.

"But why would that be a mission? Our school days were full of survival training." Sakura wonders

"This is no ordinary training."

Sayuri tilts head slightly in confusion. "Well then…what kind of training will it be?"

Kakashi tries to stifle a laugh but fails catching Sakura's attention.

"Hey, what's so funny sensei?" she asks eyeing him.

"If I told you, you'd probably chicken out."

"Why?" Sayuri asks leaning forward suddenly interested again.

"Of the 28 members of your class, 10 maybe only 9 will be accepted as actual genin. The other 19 or 18 will be sent to the academy for more training. The test we'll be doing tomorrow it has a 66% chance of failure."

"Six…sixty six…" Sayuri stutters eyes wide, besides her Naruto and Sakura are beginning to panic while Sasuke seems unfazed. Kakashi laughs again at the sight.

"See, I told you you'd chicken out."

"That sucks!" Naruto retorts. "We've been through hell already. What about the graduation exams?" he shouts.

"Oh! We wanted to eliminate the hopeless cases from your ranks. The ones who are left are the only ones who show true potential."

"That's real nice…" Sayuri mutters rolling her eyes.

"In any event, we'll meet tomorrow morning in the practice field so that I can evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Bring all your ninja tools and weapons." Kakashi hands each of them a piece of paper. "The details of your of your assignment are on the handout. Memorize it and don't be late!" He says glancing at Sayuri as she takes the slip.

_I can't fail that would mean leaving Sasuke. This is a trial of love! _Sakura grips the paper tightly with determination.

_Aaah! This is all in kanji! _Naruto panics as he tries to read the instructions while Sasuke crumples it up once he's finished.

Sayuri quickly scanned the paper with a sigh. _Tomorrow is going to be a long day._

"Oh! And one more thing…" Kakashi waits until he has everyone's attention. "Don't eat breakfast…or you'll puke."

Sayuri's mouth drops open _Wonderful._


	2. The Answer Is

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto Misashi Kishimoto does. **

**Reviews are appreciated. Thank you.**

**The Answer is…?**

_Running and laughter…a child's laughter…and a beautiful woman staring at…_

Sayuri jolted from her sleep, gasping for air. _Who was she staring at? _She demanded. _Who! _Her fists gripped the sheets tightly the moon light still shining through her open window.

XXX

"What on earth got you up so early?" A tall man with blonde hair and bright green eyes leaned on the doorway; his hands crossed over his chest the ANBU insignia showing on his left arm. He watched as Sayuri ignored him and moved about the room collecting weapons from dresser drawers and putting them inside her purple back pack. "Training…?" he gathered after four seconds.

"Survival." She answered quickly as she stacked a couple of scrolls inside her bag and began to zip it up. She sat on the ground and with her left hand she began counting.

"Survival training…at five…in the morning…?"

She looked up and nodded. "That's the plan." She got up and tied her shuriken holster on her right thigh. Two baby birds began to sing just outside her window; she paused momentarily to watch them as their mother arrived to feed them and then snatched another holster and tied it on her left calf. "There! All done!" she said happily as she picked up her bag with her right hand and placed it on the bed.

"At what time are you supposed to be at the training grounds?" the man asked as he walked into the room to pick up a book that was left on the floor besides her desk.

"Six…" she glanced out her window, past the birds and their mother. "It's about five fifty, so I'll head out right now."

"What? Lady Sayuri's going to be on time for once?" he joked as he followed her out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Very funny Saito." She graved an apple bringing it up to her lips. _Don't eat breakfast…or you'll puke. _Sayuri stopped just as she was about to take a bite out of the red apple. Looking down at it she considered the consequences for three seconds right before shrugging it off. "Oh well…what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"What was that?" Saito asked as he moved around the kitchen.

"Nothing, nothing! Got to go see, ya!"

XXX

She walked slowly towards the training grounds, her eyes towards the sky, watching the still visible stars; her footsteps where audible as she walked over the dirt road. She topped in time with another set of footsteps, their owner watched the young girl inquisitively until she turned to look at him.

Sayuri tilted her head and smiled "Morning…Sasuke, right?" she laughed slightly as she scratched the back of her head.

He glared at her before turning back to stare at the trail from which he just came from. Sayuri growled slightly, clenching her arms before turning around with a humph. _What did _I _do?_

As six, slowly, crept closer Naruto and Sakura showed up from opposite directions. The pink haired konoichi yawned as she placed her pale yellow bag down, the blonde seemed unusually quiet. Ten minutes past six and the sun began to rise. Sakura sat on her bag while Naruto tapped his foot impatiently. Sasuke hadn't moved from his spot while Sayuri had focused her attention towards the sun rise, hands behind her back.

Three hours later Sakura had sat on the ground, head resting on her hands, Naruto had joined her not long afterwards. Sayuri had stayed where she was, hands crossed, eyes fixed on the road, while Sasuke shifted his weight on to his right leg. Five hours after six, Naruto and Sakura looked just about ready to explode when Kakashi finally arrived at the field.

"Good morning class!"

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto cried out pointing at their teacher. Sasuke's frown became deeper while Sayuri glared at her mentor willing him to explode.

"Sorry my alarm clock broke." Kakashi said rubbing the back of his head.

"You had us waiting here for FIVE HOURS!" Sayuri blurted completely irritated while Kakashi chuckled.

The four genin watched as their sensei put an alarm clock on the second of three stumps, making Sayuri raise an eyebrow. "I thought you said your alarm clock broke…" she eyed her mentor suspiciously, crossing her arms.

"Ah well…I got a new one. Now, I've set this alarm to go off at noon." All four genin became confused, they watched as he took out three bells that gave off a light chime as their sensei shook them. "I have here three bells…your challenge is to steal these bells from me before the time is up. Anyone who fails doesn't get any lunch. Instead you will be tied up to that three stump so I can eat your lunch in front of you."

"So that's why you didn't want us to have any breakfast!" Naruto said his hands pulling down on his cheeks. As all of their stomachs growled…well everyone's except Sayuri's.

_Oops…_ She thought as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep her from laughing out loud.

_No breakfast, I didn't even eat dinner! _Sakura thought regretting her decision the previous night.

"All you need is a bell a piece…but since I only have three one of you will be heading to the stump." The bells let out another soft chime as he brings them up next to his head. "And who ever that is will be the first of you to fail and will have to go back to the academy for more training." The four genin stiffened at the thought of returning to the academy.

"You may, if you choose, use shuriken. Attack me as though you mean to kill or you'll never stand a chance." They watch as he snaps his hand shut, enclosing the bells in it.

"But…but that's dangerous!" Sakura exclaimed, worry evident in her face.

"You couldn't even dodge an eraser! You're going to get yourself killed, sen- OW!" Naruto laughed.

"Didn't you hear me yesterday? Even ANBU let down their guard in the village, but that doesn't mean that they're not one of the best ninja in Konoha." Sayuri whispered harshly as she jabbed the blonde in the ribs.

"Right, Sayuri. Now let's forget the dunce and we'll start when I say go." Kakashi said as he stepped back.

The word dunce echoed through Naruto's head, making the genin angry. He takes out the kuni that was in his shuriken holster, and spinning it in his hand he rushes over to the silver haired jonin ready to attack. His assault failed at the last minute when Kakashi catches Naruto, spinning him, taking the kuni from his hand and pointing it to the back of his head.

"Not so fast. I didn't say 'Go' yet."

Sayuri stared eyes wide a smile playing on her lips. _Wow…_

_So this _is _a jonin…_Sasuke smirked

"You did come at me with intent to kill though. Maybe, just maybe, I'm starting to like you four. Now on your mark, get set…" The four genin bent their knees ready to run. "…GO!" simultaneously all members of team seven scattered.

_The basis of all shinobi arts is to become invisible…_Kakashi took a look around the training area. _They seem to have that part down._

Sasuke was behind Kakashi, hidden in a tree. Sakura was under a bush, and Sayuri was squatting behind two bushes in front of a tree. Naruto on the other hand…

"It's time for the match to begin!

_Huh?...Naruto…? _Sayuri peeked through the bush, her eyes almost falling out of their sockets as she processed what she saw._ Just when I thought he couldn't get any worse, he proves me wrong! _She slapped her forehead protector as the two faced off. Kakashi taking out a book and reading while Naruto gives their sensei his all, only to have every attempt brushed off as if it was nothing. She suddenly notices Kakashi behind Naruto making a single hand sign. _Is that the sign of the tiger? _Sayuri leaned in trying to get a better look.

"Naruto get out of there or he'll kill you!" Sakura yelled out

"What?" Naruto turned a panicked look on his face.

"Too late."

All watch as Naruto jumped up into the air holding his butt and falling into the lake, after Kakashi jabbed him. Kakashi turned back to his book, only to have shuriken come out of the lake heading straight at him. He merely caught them all with easing, still completely absorbed in his book.

_That kind of strength isn't fair play! How are we supposed to beat him? _Sakura wondered as she eyed her teacher. _And he's still chuckling over his book. He's just toying with Naruto now._

Sayuri looked from Kakashi to the lake as she heard Naruto pull himself up to the surface, gasping for air. Sighing she leans back against the tree, letting her head fall loosely forward. _OK, so it's four genin against one chunin…but none of us have any of his prior training _or_ experience! _

"…You're a one trick pony, who hasn't got what it takes to win!" Kakashi's voice reached Sayuri who looked up only when she heard the bells ring. Quickly she peeked through the bush only to see Naruto holding onto Kakashi's back, and a large number of clones surrounding the jonin. Her surprise only escalated upon realizing that all of Naruto's clones were solid and not mere illusions.

"Heh heh heh…nice to see your back …sensei!" Suddenly, two clones graved hold of Kakashi's legs as the real Naruto jumped into the air. "Here's payback for what you did to my butt!"

_Wow! Naruto is _good_! _Sakura though, impressed by her dimwitted team mate.

_That guy…_Sasuke smirked _He used the art of misdirection. Feigning to distract the enemy before he struck somewhere else._

Kakashi looks up at Naruto somewhat surprised. "Relax; this will only hurt for a minute!" Suddenly Naruto's fist collides with…

_Naruto? _Sayuri almost fell forward, her mouth ajar.

Sasuke's smirk fades and Sakura gives off a confused look.

"Oww! Ow! Ow! Oww!" the clone that was hit whined, and in mere minutes the clones began to punch each other until the real Naruto drops the jutsu leaving him alone, bruises all over his face.

Sayuri's eyebrow twitches and she lets out a soft groan. _Well that settles it, _Sayuri lets her back hit the tree with a light 'thump'. _We're all useless when it comes to fighting this guy! _A leaf floated down onto her hair; lazily she plucked it out and turned it onto its side to better examining it.

XXX

_**Sayuri was thrown onto the ground letting out a light cry of pain. "Lesson number one…Teamwork!" Saito said as he stood over her. "You need to work with your team when you're on missions. If you do everything by yourself you'll get nothing done," he leans down and picks the small girl up by the collar. "You and your team may die, and the mission will be for nothing."**_

_**Sayuri glared up at the man her brown shaded eyes blazing. "I get it! But why did you have to beat me up?" she grasped his arm digging her nails into his flesh, but he did not loosen his hold. **_

"_**Because you wouldn't have listened any other way. You rushed at me by yourself when you had two other ninja at your disposal for aid." The two ANBU stepped forwards arms crossed. "I'm not here to baby you…" he let her fall onto the ground. "I won't be there to protect you either, my job is to train you and make you stronger." He walked towards the door of the training building. "But if you don't listen then I can't help you." Saito opened the sliding door and closed it behind him.**_

XXX

Sighing she let the leaf go and leaned her head against the tree. She thought back to the fight with Naruto and his clones against Kakashi. _If he managed to get a hold of Kakashi-sensei working only with his clones, then maybe… if I work with someone we can take him down. Let's see…there are Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. _She inclined her head to the side. _Naruto is obviously not an option at the moment. Then there's Sakura…but first I would have to convince her. Then there's Sasuke…he would be helpful, if it wasn't for his large ego. _

She sat up straight looking determined. _All right who ever I find first is the one that I'll team up with. _Sayuri dashed off deeper into the forest, until she sensed someone close and found the Uchiha heir. She stepped forward about to open her mouth but thought better of it and opted to look for Sakura. But just as she was about to leave Sasuke turned to her, his expression impassive.

"What do you want?" His voice was still monotone but it held a slight softness to it.

Sayuri back up slightly "Ah…um…" she unconsciously began to play with her sleeve looking anywhere but at the Uchiha before her. _No use in hiding it now._ She straightened up and turned to Sasuke. "We need to work together. If we don't then-"

"No thanks." He turned his attention to Naruto, who currently hung, upside down, from a tree. She let her mouth fall open, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red, and clenched her fist while glaring daggers at the raven haired ninja.

"If you think you can beat Kakashi sensei by yourself, you've got another thing coming!" she whispered through gritted teeth. In a sudden movement she see's Sasuke throw kunai at Kakashi once he turns his back to him.

"WHOAH! WHOAH! Sasuke you over did it!" Naruto cried out, arms flailing around as their teacher hit the ground.

Sasuke smirked down and Sayuri's eyes widened in shock taking another step back. "Uh-oh." He turned to the girl behind him only to see her vanish in an instant.

_What was that about?_ He wondered eyebrows furrowed before he turned to watch his handy work only to find a log in Kakashi's place.

"Over there, huh…" Kakashi peered through a tree pinpointing Sasuke's location.

_He used a substitution again…and I just gave away my location! He deliberately acted like he was off guard and I fell for it! _Sasuke rushed out of his hiding place, Sakura doing the same, only she was trying to find him.

Sayuri increased her speed until she landed on a high tree branch. She concentrated on the noises around her trying to pick up any footsteps, when she heard none she sighed in relief. _This isn't working!_ Her hands were still balled up into tight fists. _Stupid Sasuke and his ego, that good for nothing- _

Just then an ear piercing scream echoed through the forest making her stiffen. _Sakura…? _She wondered, wearily making her way to the direction in which the scream came from.

XXX

"The second ninjutsu art, Genjutsu, the art of illusion. And Sakura fell for it." Sasuke stiffened slightly as he heard Kakashi behind him. "It would seem that Sayuri is making her way over to her team mate," He flipped a page from his book. "Do you think she'll fall for the same genjutsu?"

"I don't know what she's capable of…but I do know that I'm not like them."

"Save your boasts until after you've got a bell, _Sasuke_." Kakashi said, attempting to imitate Sakura.

XXX

"Sakura!" Sayuri rushed to her side alarmed. _What happened to her? _She bent down and warily placed a hand on her shoulder but quickly pulled back when she heard the sound of a ruffling bush behind her. Her eyes widened at the sight. Sasuke was kneeling heavily injured staring right at her.

"Sa-Sayuri…please…help me…"

She gasped and lost her balance, falling back and nipping her lip in the process. "Ouch!" she whispered and wiped the small trickle of blood that dripped from her bottom lip. Looking back up, Sasuke was gone. _Where…?_ She searched around her and found no one in sight, that's when I dawned on her. _Genjutsu! _She turned to the pink haired girl besides her and sweat dropped. "Well _that _explains a lot…"

Sayuri sighed as she watched her team mate sleep, as she reached to shake her awake the part of the forest to her left glowed bright red. "What was that?" she remained frozen in her spot until curiosity took over and led her to Sasuke and Kakashi.

XXX

"Battle technique number three, ninjutsu" Kakashi squatted in front of Sasuke who was buried from the neck down. "So far you've done better than the rest…then again I can't really say that since, I haven't had a chance to face off against Sayuri." Kakashi said turning in her direction.

With a sigh she walked out from her hiding place. "Tempting as that sounds, I would rather not."

"Oh, come on Sayuri what do you have to lose?"

She glanced at Sasuke. _My dignity…_she thought as she stepped over the threshold.

"Don't tell me that you're scared…_Lady_ Sayuri."

"Now you're just taunting me sensei."

"Tell you what, if you can at least top Sasuke off then I won't call you 'Lady' again, but if you fail to deliver well…" he chuckled, "…I seem to recall you saying that the honorific annoyed you."

_So I top Sasuke off then he won't tease me, but If I back down…_ She looked over her teacher with narrowed eyes._ He'll make my life a living hell. _Flipping out a kunai she took a fighting stance. "You're on!"

Sayuri charged at him, vanishing just before she was to strike. Kakashi surveyed the area searching for something that was off. _There! _He threw a kuni at a tree that faded and turned into Sayuri who disappeared into smoke. _A clone…? _He jumped as she swept his feet, and caught the shuriken she had thrown at him. She jumped into the air and flipped one leg out taking the form of a high heel kick. But he jumped out of the way letting Sayuri hit the ground, creating a medium sized crater. Smirking she appeared behind the silver haired jonin aiming another kick at him. Kakashi caught it with ease, flipping over, Sayuri pulled on the bells and before he could do anything to stop her she aimed another kick at his head causing him to release her in order to block it.

_What the…? _Kakashi looked down and saw that he only had two bells left; he looked up to see Sayuri holding a bell in front of her smiling at him.

"Looks like I win!"

"Not so fast, Lady Sayuri." The girl gasped as she had her arm pinned against her back the bell falling to the ground.

"H-Hey!" she struggled as he graved her other arm and pulled it back. Quickly she made a series of seals before settling on the last one. "Wind style: slicing wind jutsu!" A gust of wind hit Kakashi from all directions, causing him to release her, as the dirt around them rose to the air causing smoke.

Once it cleared she took a look around finding Kakashi nowhere in sight. Alarmed she jumped back searching for any sign of chakara. _Where…? Right…Left…Above…Bellow…?"_

"Sayuri!" Sasuke called out a little too late.

She stiffened as she felt someone grave hold of her shoulder. "I don't think you'll find anyone down there." She quickly clasped her hands together to form more seals but Kakashi was faster and preformed a seal of his own. Sayuri's arms fell limply to her sides, her eyes became dazed and her head fell forward. "Genjutsu is not her forte." Kakashi stated holding her by the shoulder.

Sasuke watched as he picked the ten year old up and propped her against a tree tying her to it. He placed a hand on her forehead forming a seal with the other. "Release!"

"Wh-What?" she groaned and tried to touch her head but found that she was bound to a tree. She glared up at her sensei. "That wasn't fair! I had the bell!"

Kakashi shrugged "I never said that I wouldn't take it back from you. But in the end you did manage to do better than Sasuke. You did good, Sayuri." He ruffled her hair and stood up. "Well I better go check up on Naruto now." Both genin watched as their sensei began to walk away.

"Wait you're just going to_ leave _us here?" Sayuri called out but Kakashi did not turn back. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get yourselves out." He waived before disappearing.

"Come on!" she screamed trying to get herself loose.

"There's no point in that. We're stuck, so quit your whining." Sasuke said looking off to the side.

"Oh shut up! At least I got a bell!"

"Hn."

She tried to get loose again but only ended up getting scratched by the rope. "Ow…"

Sasuke looked over at her and glared when she started up again. "Will you _stop_ that!"

"Deal with it! Besides I'm not doing anything to you!" Both shinobi glared at one another until they heard a bush ruffling.

Their pink haired team mate stepped out into the scene looking rather confused.

"Sakura?" Sasuke asks but she doesn't answer instead the girls eyes widen and sweat begins to cover her face before she lets out a scream.

"It's Sasuke's decapitated head!" Both ninja glare at the girl before them, before she proceeded to faint.

"And that's our team mate." Sasuke muttered disappointed.

"Oh come on! Sakura wake up! Get us out of here!" Sayuri cried. "Sakura!"

**Thank you for reading please review. =)**


	3. Teamwork

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does. **

**Please Review. Thank you.**

Teamwork…

"Forget it she's not waking up anytime soon."

"Argh!" She began to squirm again until she felt the rope loosening around her, letting a giggle slip she begins to take her left arm out then her right. Reaching for her shuriken holster, she pulls out a kunai and cuts the rope. "Ha ha! I'm free!" she says stretching her legs. Turning to him, she smiled down. "Need help?" she asked innocently teasing him.

Sasuke glared at Sayuri before she dropped down to her knees with a sigh. Placing her hands on the ground she began to move them side to side, as if she were sweeping the dirt, and slowly the earth around him began to shift until he was free. "Here…" she holds out her hand but Sasuke ignores it and pulls himself out.

"All right…who's going to wake her up?" Sayuri asked looking over Sakura.

Sighing Sasuke walks over to the sleeping girl, the thought of having to wake her up was not very welcoming in his mind.

"Well…" Sasuke looks at the girl besides him. "She won't wake if you just stare at her!" Sayuri finished. Realizing that he's not about to do anything, Sayuri squats down and shakes Sakura awake. Sasuke, deciding against his better judgment, squats besides the rosette girl.

"Hey…wake up."

_That voice…its Sasuke's voice! _Sakura quickly comes to, coming face to face with the Uchiha. "Sasuke! You're okay!" She exclaimed happily, as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Well what do you know…she's alive…" Sayuri mumbles as she straightened up, looking over her shoulder to watch the two ninja.

"Yeah…I'm fine…okay…let go!" Sasuke says trying to pry the pink haired girl off him.

XXX_  
_"It's almost noon. I'm off" Sasuke declared as he turned away from the two girls.

_Five minutes left._ Sayuri contemplated as she scrutinized the shadows.

"Sasuke do you honestly think you can get one of those bells?" Sakura asked nervously.

"I got close enough to touch one…" he looked directly at Sayuri then. "Next time I'll get one."

"Really! Wow…Sasuke you're amazing…" Sakura said with a fake smile. _This is terrible! How am I supposed to get a bell for myself? I can't keep going like this. I might end up somewhere far away from Sasuke! _"Uh…I mean…Well there's no more time and…and well there's always next time."

The young Uchiha glared at Sakura, making the girl gulp and wished she had never said that. Sayuri watched as he turned away from both of them a dark shadow passing over his face.

_Well this is just great! _She rolled her eyes ready to open her mouth until Sasuke decided to speak up.

"I'm the only one that can kill him."

"Who? Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked confused.

"He made me…cry…"

"You cried…?"

"My…"

"Sasuke what's going on? Are you okay, or did Kakashi sensei hit you a little too hard?" Sayuri asked trying to clear the tension but to no avail.

"My only goal is to have my revenge…" he turned to Sayuri narrowing his eyes. "I have to become stronger than he is now." She gave Sasuke a look of worry just before the bell rang.

"Crap…I should have just saved my breath…"

Eyebrows drawn in she looked after Sasuke as he made his way back to the posts.

XXX

Kakashi had tied Naruto to a post while Sayuri sat on it, the alarm clock in her lap. Sasuke and Sakura where on either side of her, all with growling stomachs.

"Oh, my. Listen to all those little stomachs growl! By the way, you four…I have made my decision about this exercise."

The four genin looked up to hear their teacher speak. "None of you need to worry about being sent back to the academy." They were all shocked at this bit of news.

Naruto grinned happily while Sakura sat dumfounded. "Even me? I mean all I did was faint! We all passed?" _Oh, yeah! True love conquers all!_

Sayuri blinked at her teacher not believing her ears. Besides her Sasuke gave a slight sigh of relief.

"That's awesome! That means all four of us…"

"Should give up on being shinobi! Not a single one of you four has what it takes to be a shinobi."

XXX

"So, Iruka you invited me here because you wanted to learn something. What is it?" Iruka stayed quiet for a few seconds before speaking.

"Team seven…Naruto and the others…What kind of teacher did you assign them, Lord Hokage? Is he strict?"

"…Who…Kakashi? Does it worry you?" The aged ninja pulled out a small book. "Here! It's a roster of all of Kakashi's previous students…those who passed and those who failed."

Eagerly Iruka began to flip through the pages scanning each one, only to be shocked by what he found out. _It…it says…!_

XXX

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'GIVE UP'?" Naruto shouted frustrated. "Give me a break! Okay, so maybe none of us got our hands on one of those stupid bells…But why should we quit over that?"

"Because none of you has what it takes!" Sasuke glared at their sensei before charging at him surprising his three team mates. In a matter of seconds Kakashi took Sasuke down and shoved him to the ground promptly sitting on him. "What you are is a bunch of spoiled brats…"

"Don't step on Sasuke! GET OFF HIM!" Sakura yelled looking as if Kakashi had hurt her and not their Uchiha teammate.

Kakashi continued to shove Sasuke's face in the dirt with his foot before glaring at the three that were before him. "Are you trying to make fun of ninja with your behavior? Did you even stop to think for one minute, why you were divided into teams?"

Sayuri glared right back, while Sakura and Naruto looked lost. "Umm…what?" Sakura asked trying to make sense of it all.

"Obviously not. So you missed the entire point of the exercise."

"There was a point…?" Naruto asked squinting at his teacher.

"Of course, and that point determines whether or not you passed."

"But…" Sakura started hesitantly. "You haven't told us what it is!"

"…I can't believe this." He sighed frustrated.

"Come on already tell us!"

Kakashi looked at Sayuri who had remained in her spot. "It's so simple…even a ten year old figured it out."

"Huh?" Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke looked up at Sayuri who jumped down from the stump, carefully placing the clock back where it belonged.

"Team work. If the four of you had come at me…together…you might have been able to take the bells."

…_Wait a minute…_ Sakura counted the bells confused. "If we were expected to work as a team why do you only have three bells? Even if we had worked together one of would have to go without lunch. You're playing us against each other." She stomped asking for an explanation.

"Of course. This exercise is supposed to cause tension in your ranks."

"WHAT-?" Naruto exclaimed clearly lost.

"The situation was set up to reveal which of you would set aside your differences and proposed the others that you work together for the good of all." He raised his foot slightly from Sasuke's head. "Instead…Sakura, you ignored Naruto who was right in front of you and focused your attention on Sasuke even though you didn't know where he was. Naruto you tried to do single handily what should have been the work of all four." The silver haired jonin looked down at Sasuke. "You, Sasuke, had decided that the others were too far beneath you so you decided to go solo…" Kakashi looked up, and narrowed his eye on the last of cell seven. "And you, Sayuri, got the concept…"

"So does that mean that Sayuri is going on to the next level?" Sakura asked a bit worried, the young girl besides her sighed and shook her head 'no'.

"NO-?" Naruto asked incredulous. "Don't you want to be a ninja?"

"I understood the concept but…" she looked down, the grass seemingly more interesting than them.

"But what?" Sakura asked confused.

"But, she abandoned you, Sakura…" Kakashi answered.

"What do you mean?"

"He means that even though I reached you when you were in a genjutsu, vulnerable…I left you to fend for yourself. If the situation had been real you would've died…" Ashamed by her actions, Sayuri didn't look up as she revealed this bit of news.

"That's right. You're a team! Learn to act as one! Yes it's necessary for ninja to have individual skills, but what's more important is teamwork! Going at it alone is bad for the team and exposes your comrades to unnecessary danger. You might as well kill them yourself." He aimed his gaze at Sayuri as he said this. "For example…" Naruto and Sakura watched Kakashi take out a kunai from his pouch. "Sakura kill Naruto, or Sasuke dies."

"WHAT!" Naruto yelled trying to escape. Sayuri's head jolted up as their teacher said this looking ready to take down Sakura, knowing full well she would do it to saveSasuke.

Kakashi stepped off Sasuke placing the kunai back in its place. "The time may come when one of you may be taken hostage and you are forced to make such a choice. When you're on a mission your lives will always be on a line." He walked over to the stone of to the side. "Look at this marker…all the names on this stone. Heroes of our village. Ninja."

Naruto's ear perked up when he heard this. "That's it! I just made up my mind! There's where I want my name to go! I'm not going to throw my life away! I want t be like them—A hero!" He earned a glare from Sakura and a 'humph' from Sasuke. Sayuri sighed and looked away shaking her head.

"These are a special type of hero."

"_Really_? What type of hero?" Kakashi looked up to the sky. "Come on! Tell me!" he said enthusiastically.

"They're KIA."

"KIA? What's that?"

Sayuri's eye twitched and she turned to glare at the blonde besides her. "KIA stands for: Killed. In. Action. You—you…ugh!" she slapped her forehead not having the patience to deal with the guy anymore.

Naruto's smile slowly disappeared as he watched his sensei looking down at the stone. "This is a memorial; it includes the name of my best friends. Pay attention… I'm giving you all one last chance, but it will be more difficult than our last exercise. If you're prepared to go through with it you may eat one of the bento boxes. But no one shares with Naruto. He has to go hungry."

The four students looked surprised at their sensei. "Why?" Sakura asked.

"He brought it on himself when he tried to eat lunch without you. If either of you feeds him, you will fail right there." He walked up to them then stopped to look down at each one. "My word is law. Understand?" and with that he disappeared.

"Heh! This'll be easy. I can go without lunch no problem!"Naruto said enthusiastically before his stomach started growling.

XXX

Sasuke and Sakura began eating their lunch each on either side of Naruto, while Sayuri merely picked at it, her back turned on the three. Naruto's stomach started to rumble and she dropped the chopsticks on the rice. She looked up at the sky trying to find their sensei before turning to Naruto.

"I can't eat this…not with your stomach making all that noise…here." She brought the box up to his face, getting surprised looks from the Uchiha and the pink haired ninja.

"Sayuri didn't you hear Kakashi sensei? We're not allowed to give him any food!" Sakura retorted.

"Well he's not here, now is he? Besides I can't eat in front of someone who's starving, so I'd rather he have my food."

With a sigh Sasuke looked down at his food and brought it up to Naruto's face. "Here"

"Sasuke!" Sakura turned to her crush.

"We all need our strength if we're going to work together to get those bells. Besides…you're no good to me if you're a liability."

_Sasuke…_Sakura looked down at her lunch and shoved it to Naruto face. "Here."

"Sakura…"

"Take it. Besides I'm on a diet—I mean I don't eat as much as Sasuke, and Sayuri hasn't eaten at all. So what are you waiting for? Take it."

"But I can't…My hands are tied you're going to have to feed me."

"WHAT?"

"Hurry up we don't have much time." Sasuke urged.

"Oh no. Don't look at me, I haven't eaten…and like the Uchiha said I'm no use if I'm just a liability." Sayuri smiled up at Sakura taking a bite of her rice.

"All right but this is NEVER going to happen again! You hear that?"

XXX

"This…this is…" Iruka said incredulous.

"Yes. There's no denying it. Kakashi is extremely strict. And when his students come to him they are all utterly naïve." The hokage said taking a sip from his tea.

"I can understand that…but no one. Not a single one?"

"Yes. Kakashi never passes anyone. Ever…"

XXX

Just as Sakura was bringing a bit of rice over to Naruto's mouth a large explosion and a gust of wind hit them.

"HOLY!" Sayuri yelled turning around.

"YOU…"

Both Naruto and Sakura scream and cower in their spots. "You broke the rules…I hope you're ready for the punishment." He begins to form three hand seals. The blue sky above them turning gray, thunder erupting from the clouds. "Any last words?"

"But you said…" Naruto starts, still shaking as he stares at his sensei.

"Yes…?"

"YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE FOUR OF US! THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID! AND THAT'S WHY…Sakura, Sayuri, and…" blue eyes turn to Sasuke.

"We're all in this squad, and we're all in this together!"

Sayuri crouches in front of Naruto getting ready to defend him from whatever their teacher had in store for them. "The Uchiha has a point."

Sakura taking notice that Sasuke had decided to stand up to their teacher, stopped cowering and faced him. "Yeah that's right! We gave our lunch to him because the four of us are one!"

Naruto looks at the three genin in front of him. "YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT!"

"The four of you are one? " He walks towards them. "That's your excuse?" The four didn't move as they narrowed their eyes at their teacher. "Hm. You pass."

"Huh?" both Naruto and Sakura look at their teacher.

"Excuse me?"Sayuri asks from her spot.

"You…pass."

"What do you mean? How'd we pass?" Sakura asks.

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves…A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum that's true, but…those that abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Sakura sighed in relief and Naruto began to tear up. "The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Squad seven starts its first mission tomorrow!" He said showing them a thumbs up.

"YES!" Sakura jumped. Sayuri let herself fall back in relief, while Sasuke merely smirked.

"I did it! I did it! Believe it! I'm a ninja! Ninja! Ninja!" Naruto yells out happily.

"Let's go home." Kakashi turns and begins to walk away followed by Sasuke, Sakura and Sayuri.

Naruto began to wiggle in his spot. "I knew this would happen! It happens every time! Believe it! YOU GUYS FORGOT TO UNTIE MEEEEE!" Naruto yells out to the four before the rope around snapped. "Huh?" he stared at it as it fell to his feet and looked up to see Sayuri waving over at him.

"Come on! Let's go, Naruto!" She smiled at him as he ran towards her.

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter. The next one will be up soon. I'm getting into the habit of updating either late Saturday night or Sunday morning, so expect to see the chapter up at those times. Thanks to all those who reviewed as well as those who read the stories. **

**Please try to review. Thank you.**


	4. C rank

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto Misashi Kishimoto does. **

**Sayuri Marihasha, and any characters that did not, appear in the Anime and/or manga at any point are © of me. =) **

**Reviews are appreciated. Thank you.**

C-rank

Leaves rustled as someone quickly moved changing position. Naruto dashed into a bush Sakura, Sasuke and Sayuri right behind him. As if on cue all of them dashed to a tree.

"_Sasuke in position A..."_

"_Sakura in position B…" _

"_Naruto in position C…"_

"_I'm here."_

Kakashi sighed into the head set. "State your position, Sayuri."

"_Why…? It's…." _she paused trying to think of a nice way to put that the "mission" they were currently doing was… _Stupid, ludicrous, laughable…idiotic…_ _"…pointless."_

"Just state your position."

"_Fine. I'm in position D. Happy?"_

"Yes. Now, how far away is the target?"

"_Five meters and closing! So…how much longer are we going to wait?"_

"_I'm in position."_

"_So am I."_

"_I'm ready."_

"All right! GO!"

As soon as they got their cue the three genin leaped out into a small shadow, Naruto screaming as he lunged at their target. "GOTCHA!!!" The blonde said as he held on tight to the cat that let out a yelp before it decided to bare its claws at Naruto's face. Sakura leaned in giggling at it as it attacked.

"_Does it have a red ribbon on its right ear?"_

Sasuke looked back at Sayuri who nodded. "Ow ow ow! That doesn't tickle!" Naruto complained trying to avoid its claws.

"Target confirmed."

"God, then mission _Find the Missing Pet _is complete."

"Poor Tiger…Good little kitty kitty. I was so worried about you I could have died!" The lord of fire's wife said as she practically crushed the poor animal to her.

_Oh man!!! What a nightmare!! _Naruto thought as he rubbed his cheek.

_With that to look forward to at home could you blame him for running away? _Sakura asked herself witnessing as the cats eyes practically fell out of their sockets.

The cat squirmed once again before leaping out of its owner's arms. "TIGER!!" the woman yelled as it high tailed it into Sayuri's arms.

_The poor thing is shaking… _She thought as she stroke it's back to keep it calm.

"Oh. Lady Sayuri! Thank you so much for catching my little Tiger again!" the woman made her way over to the small brunet. "He seems to…like…you…a lot!" she said as she tried to take him back, but the thing just latched on harder, digging it's nails into Sayuri's abdomen.

"**OW!!!**" She yelped jumping back and out of the woman's reach, graving hold of Tiger's paws and carefully extracting them from her stomach. Leaving her team mates to watch the scene.

"Oh. Lady Sayuri, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She assured still trying to remove Tiger's claws. _Get OFF me!! _Finally after one final tug she pulled the cat off and held it at arm's length. "Here…" The woman snatched the cat out of Sayuri's hands and held it to her.

"Oh, Lady Sayuri, thank you. You should come over soon. I have some young son's of the other lords that would be delighted to meet you." She said as she paid the fee for team sevens services.

_Sayuri knows the fire lords wife?! _Naruto asked himself eyeing the young girl in front of him.

_Son's of the other lords…? _Sasuke thought narrowing his eyes at the woman.

"Um….at the moment I'm swamped with missions, my lady." She said bowing respectfully.

"Oh, but I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't mind giving you a break for the day." She said turning to the aging man behind her.

"Oh. Uh…" he saw as Sayuri frantically waived her arms and shook her head before clearing his throat. "I'm afraid I can't do that, my Lady."

"Alright…" She turned to Sayuri and smiled. "But you must stop by soon. How you ever decided to dedicate your life to being a ninja is beyond me…you're more like your father than I thought. In any case, please come by soon." She said before heading out the door.

"You know the fire lord's WIFE?!" Naruto demanded turning to her.

"Uh-umm…well…" she backed away, a hand behind her head. Naruto how ever stepped closer waiting for an answer.

"Yeah…how _do _you know her, Sayuri?" Sakura asked curious as well. Sensing Sayuri's distress the Hokage cleared his throat and called for their attention.

"Now then, the next assignment for team seven will be…' he looked at the slip of paper he held in his hands. "Hmm… to baby sit for the council of elders…to run errands to the neighborhood village…to help dig sweet potatoes…"

"NO WAY!! NO THANK YOU--!! GIVE US SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO DO. SOMETHING IMPORTANT! SOMETHING AMAZING!!!" Naruto interrupted crossing his arms and forming an X.

_He's got a point… _Sasuke thought

_Ugh…He's such a pain!!! _Sakura thought narrowing her eyes at him.

_Here we go… _Sayuri thought, crossing her arms.

"Don't be a fool!! You're only a genin everyone starts off with small mission. That's how you get the experience to do bigger missions!!" Iruka scolds Naruto from the desk.

"We've done tons of small stuff! Can't we get some action?!" Naruto retorts back before getting hit in the head by Kakashi.

"That's enough, Naruto."

"Apparently Naruto needs an explanation of just what these duties are…" The Hokage began. "Every day our village receives many requests…for everything from babysitting to assassination. We take the variety of missions and sort them into categories from A to D based on the degree of skill that is required for them. We also divide shinobi into classes…based on the level of their skill. Lady Sayuri would you care to explain…?"

The brunet looked up and turned to Naruto. "The classes are the cadets; those are the ninja academy students, genin, which would be us, chunin, like Iruka sensei, jonin, that's Kakashi sensei, and finally Hokage."

He smiled and continued, "After we sort out all the requests, we distribute to according to the level of ability needed for them. And if the ninja assigned to the mission complete it successfully the employer pays him the fee. So far the four of you are at the genin level, therefore D-rank missions are the best you could do."

"Hmm…I had pork ramen for lunch yesterday so I think I'll have miso ramen today. And you?"

"Well…Saito said he'd be home today so I need to cook for him too…maybe rice balls…?"

"**ARE YOU LISTENING?**"

Sayuri straightened up and turned to the Hokage stiff as a rod. "Sorry!"

"I don't want to hear it! All the old man does is apologize and then give me a lecture. But it's not fair there's more to me than being a prankster!" Naruto cried out as Kakashi sighed.

_I'm going to be in so much trouble for this later…_He thought as he crossed his arms.

Both Iruka and the Hokage smiled after hearing the blonde out. "Very well."

"Eh?" Naruto asked while Sayuri and Sasuke eyed the old man suspiciously. "Since you put it that way…"Sakura and Kakashi looked up surprised. "I will allow you to do a C-rank mission usually reserved for chunin…Your job will be to escort a certain civilian."

"…Really…?" Sayuri asked after no one said anything. _Why the sudden change of mind? _She wondered.

"Who is it? A great lord!? A princess!?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Calm down, I'll introduce you right away. Please let him in." All turn their eyes to the door, the first thing that they say was a bottle of beer.

"What's going on here?" The man took a swig out of the bottle. "They look like a bunch of snot-nosed brats." He leaned against the door frame and looked at them. "Especially the short blonde one, that looks like an idiot. This is a joke right? You four aren't really ninja are you?"

"Who'd you mean? Which short one that looks like an idiot?" Naruto laughed as Sakura and Sasuke moved in. Sasuke was the tallest, followed by Sakura and finally him. "Uhh…" His blue eyes turned to Sayuri taking notice that she was an inch shorter than him. "Sayuri, doesn't look like an idiot…"

"He means you, Naruto. I'm a brunette not a blonde."

"…" Naruto looked at Sayuri then at their employer. "**I'll kill him!!!**"

"No, Naruto. You can't kill the man you've been assigned to protect." Kakashi said as he held him back by the collar.

"I'm Tazuna, a bridge builder of the land of waves. Until I'm safely back in my country, where I'll be completing my next bridge, I expect you all to protect me even it cost you your lives."

"Where are you heading?" Saito asked as Sayuri entered the kitchen, equipped with her ninja gear.

"Mission." Saito raised an eyebrow as he picked up a dumpling from its box.

"I thought you already went through the whole survival training."

"It's a C-rank mission." The man before her watched as she attempted to stuff a teddy bear into her pack. Sighing he took the bear from her hands and held it by the ear.

"Really?"

Sayuri pouted before snatching the plush toy from him and cramming it into her bag. "See you in about a week!" she said before she plucked the dumpling from his hand just as he was about to put it in his mouth.

"Sayuri!!" Naruto said running towards her as she made her way to the gate.

"Naruto…" she said not with as much enthusiasm.

"Isn't it great that the old man _finally _gave us a decent mission?!"

"Sure it is…"

"I can't wait! I've never been outside the village before! This is going to be great!" He stopped for a few seconds as if in thought. "Now if only _Sasuke _weren't coming along then it would be so much better!"

Sayuri glanced up sensing a new chakra. "Speak of the devil." She nodded towards his direction and sure enough Sasuke was making his way over. Naruto growled, Sasuke glared, and Sayuri sighed.

"ALL RIGHT ROAD TRIP!!"

"What are you going on about?" Sakura asked the blonde ninja who rushed out of the gates.

"This'll be the first time I've ever been outside of the village!"

"Am I really expected to place my life in the hands of this kid?" Tazuna pointed at Naruto.

"There's no need to worry Mr. Tazuna. I'm a jonin and I'll be coming along too."

Besides Sayuri, Naruto crossed his arms looking rather peeved, before she knew it he began to rant on about becoming Hokage.

"Ha! The day you become Hokage is the day when pigs fly!" Tazuna replied after his extensive speech, making Naruto growl.

"**I'm going to kill you!!**" Naruto tried to launch at him but Sayuri held him by the jacket.

"Stop it!!" she commanded rather harshly before shoving him off to the side an going up behind Tazuna keeping an eye on Naruto.

Time passed as the ninja and their charge walked through the forest. Sayuri sticking next to Kakashi and Tazuna while Naruto led in front followed by Sasuke and Sakura.

"Um, Mr. Tazuna…?" Sakura asked a bit unsure.

"What now?"

"You come from the land of waves, right?"

"What of it?"

"Um…Kakashi sensei, are there ninja in that country too?"

"No not in the land of waves. But as a general custom most other lands have their own hidden villages where ninja reside."

Sayuri began to fall behind as she stared at the clouds. _It's hot today…_she took notice of the sun set high above their heads.

"Really? The Hokage is _so _amazing!" Sakura said snapping Sayuri out of her reverie.

"You obviously don't think so." Kakashi said making her three team mates freeze up. "Don't worry there's nothing to worry about. You won't be getting into fights with ninja from other countries in C-rank missions." He patted Sakura's head.

"So I won't have to worry about meeting any foreign shinobi?"

"Of course not!" Kakashi laughed easing Sakura's tension. Sayuri how ever noticed Tazuna stiffen at the mention of having to fight other ninja off. Sasuke noticing her sudden interest in their client turned to look at the man who had a somber look on his face.

They all walked past a small puddle, all seemingly too busy to notice it. Sakura and Naruto moved on ahead while Kakashi, Sasuke, and Tazuna stayed close together. Sayuri drifted further back as she kept her eyes focused on the cloud that momentarily eclipsed the sun. No one took notice of the ninja that manifested themselves from the puddle that lay behind.

The ninja jumped into the air a chain connecting the two. Sayuri tuned back and watched stunned as the two headed towards her.

"Move!!" Kakashi commanded as he pushed the girl aside before he was wrapped by the chain.

"One little piggy…" They all watched in horror as Kakashi was shredded by the two ninja.

"**KAKASHI SENSEI!!**" Sayuri cried out as his remains fell to the earth.

"Two little piggies…" They appeared behind Naruto who was too stunned to move. They pulled out their chain getting ready to trap Naruto until Sasuke pinned it with a shuriken and kunai before kicking their faces, all this while Naruto watched in shock. They released their chain one turned to Sakura and Tazuna while the other ran after Naruto.

"Naruto!!" Sayuri rushed to him kicking the ninja under the chin. "Earth style: enclosing roots!" Just before he hit the ground, their attacker was surrounded by tree roots that banged him and tied him down to the earth. As for Sakura and Tazuna, Sasuke got in the way ready to take the blow, until Kakashi showed up catching the ninja by the throat.

"Kakashi sensei! You're alive!!" Sakura said relieved

"Sensei!" Sayuri dashed over to her teacher delighted that her master was alive.

Behind her Sasuke grunted. _Show off. _

"I'm sorry Naruto I should have jumped in sooner to help you. I never thought that you would freeze up." Their teacher then turned to the three before him. "Good job you three. And Sayuri you need to be more alert, you could have gotten killed."

"Yes sir!" she smiled brushing her hair with her fingers.

"Hey…are you hurt, Scaredy cat?" Sasuke taunted Naruto. "Ow!" The Uchiha turned to glare at Sayuri who dropped her hand to her side.

"Why'd you pinch Sasuke, Sayuri?!" Sakura demanded coming to the Uchiha's aid.

"Because he's an ass!" turning to Naruto with a gentle look she patted him on the back. "It's fine if you freeze up, you know. I did too, there's nothing to be ashamed of." She smiled but he only looked down.

"Yeah but you saved me either way…" Sayuri didn't answer instead she nodded and walked away but stopped midway.

"Oh! Naruto I advise you not to move. Those claws of theirs were poisoned" Naruto gave her a confused look. "Your hand…they scratched it." The blonde looked down and froze. Sasuke eyed Sayuri from his spot as she walked up to Kakashi and Sakura who stood around the two ninja that had just attacked them.

"…We'll need an anesthetic to clean Naruto's cut. Can't we just head back to the village and have a doctor look at it?" Sakura asked, more like pleaded to Kakashi, who looked up and rubbed his chin.

"This is complicated…do we go back to the village or stay?" Naruto glared at his teacher before whipping out a kunai and jabbing it into the cut.

"WHAT THE…!? **WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!!**" Sayuri screamed.

"With this kunai I promise you…I will protect the old man!"

"Naruto, it's great that you think that way but…" Kakashi began. "We just needed a clean cut to increase the blood flow but you've exceeded that need. You could bleed to death if any more comes out."

"What?! No, no, no, no, no! I don't want to die like this!!" Naruto ran waving his hand around frantically.

Sayuri sighed and walked over to Naruto. "Stop it, and give me your hand." She said with a sigh.

"O-ok…" She took it and her free hand began to glow a light green color surprising everyone around her.

_She knows medical jutsu? _Kakashi wondered looking closely at his young student.

_His wound…it's almost healed! _Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at his hand. "Uh umm…Is everything all right?"

"Huh?" she looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah everything's fine." She laughed as she brushed her glowing hand over the wound cleaning it and wrapping it with the bandage. "Nothing to worry about. See?"

"Um…Mr. Sensei, sir…I need to tell you something" Sayuri turned to Tazuna trying t read what was going through his head.

_Nothing good ever comes after those words…_Sayuri thought narrowing her eyes.

**I'm alive!!! Yes I know I've been MIA for quite some time, no excuses sorry. But please enjoy the next chapter and give me feedback I need reviews. Suggest what you want to see more of or tell me what you like of the story anything works really, I just need to know that there's some one that's reading the story. I want to thank all those who have reviewed already. Thank you. =)**


	5. The Land of Waves

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

The Land of Waves

_It's so foggy that I can barely see my hand!_ Sayuri wiggled her fingers in front of her, Sasuke watching her from his spot. Catching him staring Sayuri smiled at him only to hear him 'hn' and turn away from her. Narrowing her brown shaded eyes she crossed her arms over her chest and 'humphed' turning her head to the side. _What a jerk! _Kakashi, witnessing the ordeal smiled under his mask.

"We'll be able to see the bridge in a minute on the other side of it is the land of waves." The man steering the boat said obviously tense. Just as he said that a shadowy figure appeared in the distance, as they came closer the figure turned into an unfinished bridge.

"WHOA IT'S **HUGE!**" Naruto exclaimed, startling Sayuri who jumped slightly as her reaction.

"Hey! Keep it down. This mist will keep us hidden, but from this point on we'll have to turn off our engines and row. We'd b in big trouble if Gatô caught us." The man whispered harshly. Naruto quickly clamped his hands over his mouth, while the rest looked wary.

_This man, hiring us, knowing full well that we aren't qualified for this. I don't care if Gatô wants to kill him, he could have just opened his mouth and asked for help instead of lying to us about what was really going on… _She stared at their employer then turned her attention to her sensei. _And him…letting the old man guilt trip him into continuing the mission, I could've sworn that he called sensei sucker after he agreed!_

"We'll be there soon." The man steering snapped Sayuri out her train of thought. She looked around her and saw that they were heading under another bridge. "It seems that we've been over looked, but just to be on the safe side we'll take an inland water route to a point where we can make land fall under the covers of mangroves."

Soon they were surrounded by trees, Naruto openly impressed. _It's like a floating forest! _Sayuri thought as she took in her surroundings.

"_**Careful, Sayuri. Don't wonder off too far. The forest is beautiful but dangerous." A small girl looked up at a pretty woman with silver hair and bright blue eyes.**_

"_**Ok!" the girl giggled right before running off, her long brown hair swaying from side to side as she ran through the edge of the woods. Far enough to conceal herself but close enough so that she could see the woman who walked towards the trees, a gentle smile on her face.**_

"Hey…" Sayuri turned to Sasuke who towered over her. "We're here." She blinked once, twice, before dazedly getting up and stepping onto the dock, Sasuke right behind her.

"This is as far as I go. Take care of yourself." The man said to Tazuna right before heading back into the mangroves.

"Ok, now if I can only make it home in one piece."

"Yeah, yeah." Kakashi dismissed him as they continued their journey. _There's bound to be another attack and this time they won't send chūnin after us. They'll be upper level ninja. Could this possibly get any worse?_

Sasuke continued to watch Sayuri who walked a bit ahead of him. _She hasn't said a word since we got off the boat…_he narrowed his eyes at her back before speeding up and getting in front of her, but still she said nothing. Naruto seeing Sasuke up in front sped up as well so that he was at the same pace as his rival.

_Who was that…who _is _she? _Sayuri racked her brain for answer but received none. _I've been day dreaming about her for _weeks _I know her...and..._

_This is it! I'm not going to lose to Sasuke! _Naruto thought as he glared at his rival.

…_What the heck is going on? Why now! Why her! _Sayuri glared at the ground her knuckles turning white as she gripped the straps of her back pack.

"**OVER THERE!**"

"Aaaaah!" Sayuri screamed latching on to the closest thing to her. She pried open her eyes and saw that Naruto had thrown a kunai at nothing.

"I…uh guess it was only a mouse." Naruto said dismissing the fact that he had just put the entire group in a state of panic.

"**NARUTO! DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT **_**AGAIN**_**!**" Sayuri yelled at the blonde who laughed nervously.

"Sorry, Sayu- whoa!" Naruto pointed at her. She gave him a weird look unsure of what he was pointing at.

"Sayuri! Let go of my- I mean Sasuke!" Sakura screamed mortified.

"…?" She looked at herself then at what she had encircled her arms to. Looking down at her was the Uchiha who seemed to be frozen in his spot. "Ah! S-sorry! I- I uh…" she let go of him, like he had just burned her, and put her hands in front of her, waving them frantically, a light shade of pink filling her cheeks.

"**Hey midget, don't play around like that! Stop messing with our heads!**" Tazuna yelled irritated.

"I know I saw someone!" Naruto said sweeping the area again. "**This time it's over there!**" the blonde said throwing the kunai into a bush.

"**We said quit it!**" Sakura said whacking him on the head. Kakashi strolled over to the bush and moved some of it aside. "Naruto look what you did!" Sakura scolded as Naruto held the white rabbit in his hands cuddling it.

"It was an accident snap out of it, bunny, please!" Sayuri watched as he squeezed the poor animal against his chest.

Trying to distract herself, Sayuri peeked around Sakura's shoulder to get a look at the innocent creature. "It's white…?" she pointed out confused. Kakashi took in what his young student said and began to wonder why the animal's pelt was white and not brown.

Suddenly Kakashi caught the sound of spinning metal slicing through the sleeves. "Everyone take cover!"

_Wha…?_ In a matter of seconds she was shoved into the ground, Sasuke over her.

"What the heck is wrong with you! Snap out of it or you'll end up dead!" Sasuke whispered harshly into her ear before sitting up. Sayuri turned on her side to get a look at their opponent. There a tall man with bandages covering half of his face stood atop a large executioner sword.

"Well, well…if it isn't Zabuza Momoichi, the ninja that ran off and left the Land of Mists!" Kakashi said putting his hands in his pockets.

_Ready…Steady…GO! _Naruto darted off trying to get to Zabuza but Kakashi's hand shot out stopping him in his tracks.

"Don't interfere; this one is at a whole other level from our previous opponents." Kakashi moved his hand over to his leaf headband while his students watched Zabuza in amazement. _If I'm going to face him than it had better be… _"Like this. This may get a little rough."

"Kakashi of the sharingan eye, I presume? If it wouldn't be too much trouble…could you surrender the old man?"

Team seven looked lost with the exception of Sasuke that is. _The sharingan? The mirror wheel eye? _Sasuke watched Kakashi, hand still on his headband.

"Assume the Manji battle formation! Protect Mr. Tazuna. All of you are to stay out of this fight. That's the type of teamwork that this battle demands." He turned his full attention to Zabuza. "And now…Zabuza…" he pulled up his head band revealing a red eye with three spinning, black, comma like imprints. "Shall we?"

_What's up with his eye? _Naruto wondered as he peered at his teacher.

_His chakra…it changed! _Sayuri thought as she rose to her feet.

"Ah… to face the legendary sharingan so early in our acquaintance, this is such an honor."

"What the heck is a sharingan?"Naruto demanded turning to his sensei.

"Shinobi who have the sharingan eye…have mastered a type of ocular ninjutusu that allows them to see through any genjutsu and ninjutusu, and t reflect it back to those who cast them. The Sharingan, or mirror wheel eye, is one of the several types of used by masters." Sayuri looked at him then back at Kakashi looking rather confused.

"Ah…but you're only scratching the surface of it boy. When I was an assassin for kirigakure, I possessed the usual bingo book. A kind of who's who of our enemies, and it had quite an extensive write up on you…Including a mention of your impressive record…The man who penetrated and copied over a thousand jutsu…Kakashi of the Sharingan."

_Is Kakashi sensei really that amazing?_ Sakura wondered as she looked at her teacher, Naruto secretly admiring him as well.

Sayuri tugged on her sleeve, eyebrows furrowed. _But how…how did he get it when…_She looked over to Sasuke who seemed to be thinking the same thing as her. _The ANBU had told me that the sharingan belonged only to members of the Uchiha clan, and even at that only a small number of them had the ocular jutsu…so how is it that Kakashi sensei has it?_

"Enough, as pleasant as this conversation is it's time to get to work. Hand over the old man."

In a flash the four genin surrounded Tazuna. Naruto on his left, Sakura in his right, Sasuke and Sayuri in front, all holding a kunai ready for an attack

"It looks like I'll have to kill you first…" Zabuza said eyeing Kakashi before disappearing onto the lake.

"Over there!" Naruto yells out

"He…He can walk on water?" Sakura asks amazed. Sayuri narrowed her eyes as they all watched Zabuza being surrounded by mist.

"He vanished." Naruto said after a second. "He'll come after me first…" They all look at Kakashi who made his way to the lake.

"But who is he?" Sakura asked.

"Zabuza Momoichi, the ex leader of the hidden mist assassination unit, he's a master of the silent killing technique. Letting your guard down around him buys you a one way ticket to heaven. The Sharingan can't protect us completely from his technique, so don't lower your guard. Do you understand, Sayuri…?"

The young girl gasped looking at her sensei and nodding "Yes, sir." The mist began to thicken alarming the young ninja and their client.

"_There are 8 targets._" Sakura froze in panic. "_Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclavian artery, kidney, heart…So many choices…What vital, vulnerable place should I choose?_" The man laughed as the genin panicked.

The mist began to thicken until Kakashi made a hand sign clearing the area a bit once again. Sasuke began to shake besides Sayuri, his breathing becoming labored and his eyes widening. "…Sasuke…" Sayuri whispered besides him, his shaking continued, sweat beginning to roll down his face. Slowly as to not scare him, Sayuri placed a hand on his free one. He snapped out of his trance still frozen out of fear that he might attract attention to himself. Sayuri maintained her position, looking forward, before giving his hand a light squeeze.

As if sensing his distress Kakashi addressed the group behind him. "Calm down. Even if he gets me, I'll protect you with my life."

"_I wouldn't bet on that._" Zabuza's voice came out from behind them. "Game over." Kakashi activated his sharingan and moved towards Zabuza in a flash stabbing him with a kunai. The genin and their client falling away from the two jonin.

"Sensei behind you!" Naruto cried out as the Zabuza he had just stabbed turned into water, the real one taking a swing at him with his own weapon slicing through the silver haired man, however he too turned into a water clone.

_A water clone…? He was able to copy me in this mist? _ Zabuza thought shocked.

"Don't move." A kunai appeared at his throat making Zabuza freeze. "Now it's game over."

_He was so…fast…_Sayuri thought a light blush dusting her cheeks. Besides her Sakura laughed in relief and Naruto made his amazement known.

"You think it's over?" Zabuza laughed. "You just don't get it." Kakashi looked at him with mild surprise before regaining his composure. "It would take more to defeat me than mimicking me like a monkey…A lot more. But you are good. You copied my water clone technique, and by making him say something you would have said yourself, you made sure that my attention was focused on him while you used my mist to hide and watch my every move." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Too bad for you…I'm not that easy to fool."

"Kakashi sensei!" Sayuri yelled out as Zabuza appeared with a kunai at hand the water clone in front of her teacher disappearing. Zabuza moved quickly swinging his executioners blade at the silver haired jonin, who dodged it, but wasn't able to dodge the Demon of the Mist's kick. Zabuza rushed after him but stopped noticing the spikes left behind.

Sayuri watched in horror as her teacher was trapped in a water prison as soon as he emerged. The water at the edge of the lake began to rise taking the form of a man. "Little ninja wannabe…trying so hard to fit in, even wearing the head band but a true ninja is one who has crossed and re-crossed the barriers between life and death. We don't call your kind ninja…we call them…" The clone disappeared and reappeared in front of Naruto who was kicked in the abdomen. "Brats!"

Brown shaded eyes narrowed, quickly taking out a kunai, Sayuri set her mind for the clone. "Everyone listen to me! Take Tazuna and run, this is a fight you can't win! If he wants to hold me here he can't move, and if his water clone gets too far away from him, he'll lose control over it. So get out of here! RUN!" Sayuri's attention snapped toward her teacher as he told them this. Looking back at her client and at her team mates she stood frozen. _Run…he wants us to run…? _

Naruto, afraid turned on and attempted to run but stopped momentarily before turning back to the water clone and rushing at him. "**NARUTO, DON'T!**" Sayuri screamed but the blonde kept going until he was sent flying backwards towards his team.

"What were you thinking, charging at him by yourself? You can't beat him! Genin like us don't--" Sakura began but noticed what Naruto held in his hand and stopped mid sentence. _The head band…that's what he wanted._ Naruto stood up and smirked at Zabuza.

"Hey freak with no eyebrows. I've got something for you to add to your Bingo book…My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Konoha ninja in training!" He said as he tied his headband.

Sayuri gave him a shocked look before it softened into a smile. _Naruto…_

"Sayuri, Sasuke… Listen up there's something I want to tell you."

"Yeah…" Sasuke answered for the two.

"I've got a plan."

"A plan…?" Sayuri echoed and straightened up tucking her kunai back into the holster.

"So it's time for some team work." Sasuke smirked as he looked at Naruto from the corner of his eye.

Naruto grinned and wiped the blood off his lip. "All right lets rock and roll."

"You seem pretty sure of our self, but do you really think you can stand a chance against me?"

"What's the matter with you? I told you to run. It's over! It's been over from the second he trapped me. You have to complete the mission. Keep that in mind, we're here to protect Mr. Tazuna!" Kakashi yelled from his water prison.

The four genin turned to the old man who smiled and looked at them. "Let's face it. I got you all into this by lying. I've had a long life and it would be wrong to let you kids get killed by trying to save me. So you go ahead. Give this fight everything you've got!"

Sasuke smirked and turned to his sensei. "…So that's it!"

"You ready for this?" Naruto asked. Sayuri nodded moving besides him.

"Apparently you don't care whether you live to get any older. Playing at being a ninja like it's a child's game…I however, by the time I was your age, dyed these hands with my enemies blood." All of them gulped, Sayuri's eyes widening more in disgust, rather than horror.

"The demon Zabuza…" Kakashi said looking concerned.

"It would seem that my reputation precedes me."

"Long ago, in the village of the hidden mist, also known as the village of the bloody mist, the final test to becoming a ninja was the most inhumanely test imaginable."

"So you've heard of our little graduation exercise." Zabuza seemed rather pleased at that.

"What graduation exercise?" Naruto asked, and Zabuza laughed.

"It's a kind of killing spree among classmates. Students who'd been friends as school children were divided into pairs and were forced to fight against each other…to the death; children who had lived together, trained together…who had shared each other's hopes and dreams."

The girls in the group gasped in shock.

"Ten years ago the elders of the hidden mist were forced to enact a reform of their barbaric ritual. Because of the appearance, the previous year…of a child who made reform essential."

"What reform? What child?" Sakura asked

"Without a moment's hesitation…a boy who hadn't even jet qualified as a ninja, butchered over a hundred of that years graduation class."

"Ah yes…good times. I used to have such fun." Zabuza smiled sadistically and looked at them before rushing over to attack, his attention on Sasuke.

"Earth style, Earth Barrier jutsu!" A wall of earth rose up between Zabuza and Sasuke. "Vine Prison!" Zabuza's clone jumped back dodging a series of vines that shot up after him, before cutting them down with his executioners' sword. The earth barrier in front of Sasuke went down leaving a very shocked group of genin and an old man gaping at Sayuri.

She released the seal and lowered her arms, her hands began to shake lightly as she glared at the clone. _That wasn't a good idea. _The brunet though taking a deep, shaky, breath. _My chakra's isn't enough to perform these types of jutsu in a sequence just yet._

"My, my…You've got a ninjutsu user on your team Kakashi…It'll be my pleasure to take her down." Zabuza smiled when he saw Kakashi glare at him.

Sayuri steadied herself. _Good…just focus on me._ She turned to Sasuke who nodded hesitantly. Taking out a kunai she charged at the clone jumping into the air flipping into a heel kick position. But Zabuza caught it and swung her into the ground, making her gasp as blood trickled down her lip. She threw her kunai at him, but the clone dodged it easily and sent a punch to her stomach.

"**SAYURI!**" Sakura and Naruto cried out, Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he watched the scene.

Sayuri back flipped and raised her hands about to make another series of seals but Zabuza caught her right hand and held her up to his eye level. "You're running low on chakra…fighting me and healing you're wounds at the same time." Sayuri's eyes widened for a second before turning into a glare. "That's right. I've got you figured out. You're a medic ninja…that's how you've been able to keep moving even after a punched you in the stomach." He laughed and looked at her team. "Say good bye to your friend, because she'll be the first to--" He caught Sayuri's kick at the last second. "Persistent little girl aren't you." He let her leg go, about to send a kick at her Naruto stepped into the fight.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" The clones jumped at Zabuza who dropped Sayuri. In a second Sasuke was at her side picking her up and jumping away from the area once Zabuza threw Naruto's clones off him, each one disappearing with a pop.

Naruto skidded back taking a large shuriken out of his back pack. "**SASUKE!**" Looking up he quickly caught the Shuriken and spun.

"You saw it right?" Sayuri whispered, wiping the blood of her lip. The Uchiha merely smirked at her and opened the shuriken.

"Demon wind shuriken. Windmill of Shadows!" He jumped and threw the large piece of metal at the real Zabuza who caught it with no effort but quickly realized that there was a second shuriken hiding in the shadow of the first. Jumping over it he smiled.

"Amateur!" Sasuke didn't comment on the statement instead smirked as the shuriken turned into Naruto with a kunai in hand, throwing it at Zabuza who let go of Kakashi's water prison in order to dodge it. Angry, Zabuza was about to throw the shuriken at Naruto, but Kakashi stopped him.

"That was brilliant, Naruto. You've really matured, all of you." Naruto grinned happily at his sensei.

"The shadow clones weren't meant to take down Zabuza it was a distraction to allow myself to turn into a shuriken and have my clone throw it to Sasuke who staked it under the one he already had and throw it at Zabuza so that we could free you." He looked over at Sasuke and Sayuri. "Sayuri was just a distraction; she attacked the clone to see where his blind spot would be." Sayuri smiled up at Sasuke who looked to his side.

"So you made fly into such a rage to make me release the water prison."

"No! You released it because you were forced to release it." Zabuza glared at Kakashi. "Just so you know the same jutsu won't work on me twice. Your move." Both men jumped back and began to perform several hand signs ending on the sign of the bird.

"**Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!**" The water left from the impact swept over to the land Sakura rushed to protect Tazuna while Sasuke shielded Sayuri.

_So many hand signs, and he mirrored them all flawlessly._ Sasuke thought as he looked over at their teacher.

_He's _that _strong…! _Sayuri wondered as she watched her sensei mimicked everything that Zabuza did.

"You mimic me like a parrot. I close your beak for good!" Zabuza yelled he began to form the seals but stopped frozen in shock. _It's me? But that's impossible! _Zabuza thought as he looked at himself. _Is this another of his illusions?_

"**Water Style: Giant Waterfall!**" A huge mass of water fell down on Zabuza sweeping him towards a tree. Sakura screamed and shielded herself along with Tazuna. Sasuke graved Sayuri and pulled her against his chest, and Naruto swam for safety towards the shore.

"And that's that." Kakashi said as he appeared on the tree branch just above Zabuza.

"Wh-What…? Can you see the future?"

"Yes. I can see…your death." Just then two senbon flew through the air and struck Zabuza in the neck.

"Looks like your prediction came true." All turn to see a masked ninja Kakashi checked Zabuza's pulse and confirmed that he was indeed dead.

"Thank you for your help. I hope you don't mind my interfering. I just wanted the satisfaction of killing Zabuza myself."

"That mask....correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you a hunter nin from the village hidden in the mist?" Kakashi asked.

"That is correct. I am a member of the elite tracking unit from the mist. It is our duty—and our art—to hunt down and eliminate rouges and outlaws."

Lightly pushing Sasuke's shoulder aside, Sayuri got up and looked at the hunter ninja in front of her. _He can't be any older than Sasuke or Naruto…yet he's a full fleshed hunter nin…?_

"**WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?**" Naruto demanded. "**How is it possible that he took down Zabuza like it was nothing! Do we suck or something?**"

"You have my sympathy, Naruto. I can see why that would be hard to accept. But it's a fact that you'll have to be willing to live with." Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's head. "There are kids out there who are both younger than you, and stronger than me." Both Naruto and Sasuke didn't look too pleased with that bit of news.

_Children who are stronger than us! _Sasuke looked over at Sayuri, who had her attention on the hunter, and narrowed his eyes.

"I have to dispose of the body now. I must be off." The mist ninja made a single seal and disappeared. Kakashi brought down his head and once again to cover his eye.

"Now then…we still have to escort Mr. Tazuna the rest of the way home. Let's put our best our best feet forward"

Tazuna laughed and tugged at his hat. "You poor kids must be humiliated. But never mind you can lick your wounds at my house."

Sayuri turned to glare at the man. "Listen you, make one more comment like that again and I assure you that you won't need to worry about Gatô getting you!" she whispered harshly making Tazuna gulp. Suddenly Kakashi fell face fist on the ground. "Ah! Kakashi sensei!" Sayuri rushed over to her teacher.

_That girl…she looks and acts like an angel, but in reality she's more like a scary little demon! _Tazuna thought shivering at her last comment.

**Sorry it's s long and late but still =P please review. Thank you for reading, and again I need reviews.**


	6. The Truth and a Lesson on Climbing?

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

The Truth and a Lesson on….Climbing?

The waves rolled towards land slowly and the seagulls flew above her waiting to be thrown another piece of bread. Sayuri sat on the dock, feet dangling, occasionally getting sprayed on by the salt water as it hit the pole. _This place is beautiful…._Her brown tinted eyes warmed as she threw into the air the last piece of bread she had in hand.

"Aren't you going to go check on Kakashi?" Sayuri turned to look at Sasuke who stood behind her, hands in pockets the wind making his hair flow to the right lightly.

_That wasn't a question, it was a command._ She thought as another wave came in.

"What are you starring at?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nothing!" She blurted out and scrambled to her feet before running in to the house a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

XXX

Sayuri entered the house closing the door behind her; just then a scream erupted from Kakashi's room.

"What?" Sayuri asked rushing into the room only to see Sakura and Naruto on the floor, Sakura of course scolding the blonde while Kakashi slowly sat up holding his head.

"Oh! Kakashi sensei…" Sayuri made her way to him and placed a hand on his back. "Are you okay?" Just then Sasuke walked in right behind Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter.

"…The shinobi hunters who manage corpse disposal are supposed to destroy the bodies of those they kill at once, right on the spot." Sayuri blinked at him before sitting back.

"So what?" Sakura asked slightly confused.

"Don't you get it? How did the kid in the mask dispose of Zabuza's corpse?"

"How should I know? He took the body with him."

''That's right. Even though all he really to take back as proof that he killed him was the head. There's also the mystery of the weapons the hunter used to dispatch his pray."

"…Senbon…" Sayuri said after a couple of seconds, shocking Sasuke.

"…No way…"

"Yes…**way**!" Both Naruto and Sakura were officially lost.

"What nonsense are you mumbling about…?" Tazuna asked getting worried.

"What he's trying to say is that Zabuza is very much alive." Sayuri answered, crossing her arms.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Naruto turned to Sayuri

"But Kakashi sensei, you checked to be sure that Zabuza was dead!" Sakura exclaimed. Both ninja were in denial.

"I made sure if it. But a deathlike trance could have created a really convincing illusion of the real thing."

"W-what do you mean, sensei?" Sakura asked eyebrows furrowed.

"Senbon are deadly…" Sayuri said as she took one out and held it between her fingers. "But only if they hit a vital spot. Most of the time, they're used to immobilize the enemy or to inflict pain to speed up the interrogation process. Hunter ninja from any village would have to have extensive knowledge over the human physiology…" she threw the thin piece of metal so that it missed Naruto by a couple of centimeters, and hit the wall. "That means that they would know how to, in a way, create death. They could make the body believe _it _is dead for a couple of minutes, long enough for you to escape."

"On the other hand things may be just the way they seem, but we would still have to consider the possibilities that Zabuza is still alive." Kakashi piped in.

"Aren't you just over thinking things? Shinobi hunters are supposed to hunt rogue ninja, right?" Tazuna said looking as if all of it was a big lie.

"Usually…but ignoring something this fishy is the first step to being caught completely unprepared, and preparation is a shinobi's most important skill…Oh well, whether Zabuza is dead or alive there still may be more ninja who would come up against us." He looked at Naruto who looked like he was shivering out of excitement. _Interesting…he actually seems thrilled with the possibility that Zabuza survived._

"Sensei, you said that 'preparation is a shinobi's most important skill' but right now you can't even move. So what do we do now?" Kakashi began to laugh at Sakura's question; the four genin looked at their sensei confused.

"I'm going to increase your training schedule." Both Sakura and Sayuri twitched at this bit of information.

"Training?" both said appalled.

"That's right."

"But sensei what will a little extra training matter now with what we're up against? Our opponent is a ninja so powerful that even with your sharingan he almost defeated you!" Sakura retorted. _What are you trying to do get us all killed? _Inner Sakura exclaimed.

"And when I was captured…think about it, who was it that rescued me?"

"Um…us?" Sayuri said pointing at herself.

"That's right. You're all maturing quickly…especially you Naruto, you've grown the most." Naruto smiled feeling pretty proud of himself. "Either way, the skills I teach now will be a temporary thing to keep you busy until I recover enough to take over…"

"But how can we just train without knowing when he might come after us again?" Naruto asked.

"It won't be for some time…It takes a while for the body to fully recover after being put through a death like simulation…it may take up to about two weeks tops, considering who we're up against." Sayuri said rubbing her chin thoughtfully. _Two weeks isn't enough time to teach us something that will help us put up a good fight against Zabuza and that hunter kid he's got with him._

"So we train while we wait…that'll be fun." Naruto smiled at Sayuri who glanced over to the door.

"It won't be fun for _you_." said the kid standing by the entrance.

"Inari! Where have you been?" Tazuna exclaimed opening his arms for the boy who ran up to him.

"Grandpa!"

"Inari greet our guests properly. They're ninja from the leaf village, they brought grandfather to us." Tsunami scolded the young boy who looked them over.

"But momma, they're all going to die." He pointed.

They all blinked before Naruto looked ready to pounce on him. "**Listen you little twerp-**"

Sayuri sighed and discretely walked out of the room. _I wonder what Saito is doing right now…_She leaned on one of the posts that held up the dock _Probably burning the food…or the house…._ She smiled at the thought of him cooking.

"Hey, Kakashi said that we have to go train."

With a sigh she pushed herself up straight and walked towards the front of the house and away from Sasuke.

XXX

"So it's been decided, your training begins today."

"**YE—OW!**" Naruto turned to Sayuri who was looking away. "Who pinched me?" Both Sakura and Sasuke glanced at Sayuri whose hands were behind her.

"Naruto pay attention." Kakashi sighed as he eyed Sayuri. "Let's discuss the basis of all shinobi powers, chakra."

"Um…right….I think I've heard of that before…" Naruto mumbled.

"You…think…?" Sayuri asked her eyebrows furrowed.

He laughed nervously and rubbed his head "What are those again?" Sayuri's eyebrow twitched, Kakashi let his head fall with a sigh, Sasuke stared, and Sakura did the only thing that came to mind after hearing such a thing.

"**And you call yourself a ninja! Did you sleep through every class you ever took?**" Naruto just laughed nervously again and Sayuri gasped.

"Let's just say I got some really high quality nap time." At this Sayuri covered her mouth trying hard not to laugh, while Sasuke looked at her like she was a species from another planet.

"All right, Sayuri this is no laughing matter." The small girl nodded hands still over her mouth. "Sorry sensei."

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura!."

"All right Naruto listen up, I'll try to keep this simple, so try to find some storage space in that shiny smooth brain of yours." Sakura took out a scroll and began her lecture. All the while Naruto tilted his head, Sasuke crossed his arms and closed his eyes, and Sayuri glanced over to Naruto wondering how on earth he graduated from the academy.

"That's correct! It seems that Iruka thought his students well." Kakashi said rubbing his chin after Sakura's lecture.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! I don't do well with long lectures, but if you can just show me my body can learn it!" Naruto said turning to Kakashi.

"Wow Naruto, you have no appreciation." Sayuri sighed placing her hands on her yet to develop hips. "Sakura just explained something that takes at least two classes to learn and you don't even say thanks?"

"Well…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"Naruto's right. We already employ the ninja arts and techniques…" Sasuke intervened.

"Wrong! None of you has full mastery of your chakra!"

"Huh? We…we don't?" Sayuri asked flat out confused.

"Sayuri, you may use some medical techniques and ninjutsu but you have yet to completely control your chakra. For example…that fight with Zabuza, you were obviously running low after you intervened when he went after Sasuke. Had you had complete mastery of your chakra you would have lasted longer…and probably not have been this injured." He nodded towards the girl, her team mates fully noticing that she was sporting bandages on most of her body. "As Sakura said, manipulation of the chakra refers to summoning physical and mental energies and combining them within your own body. Depending on which technique you use the amount of energy you need to absorb will vary."

Sayuri looked down clenching her hands at her sides. _Saito told me the something similar…_

"So…uh…what do we do?" Naruto asked.

"You learn to control your body through the harshest training…Go out on a limb and learn from the experience!"

"How do we do that?" Sakura asked. By now all of team seven had a worried look on their faces.

"We climb trees!" Sayuri blinked at him twice before wondering if his fight with Zabuza did more than just physically drain him.

"What kind of training is _that_?" Sakura asked hands on her hips.

"Just let me finish." Kakashi said shifting on his crutches a bit. "This isn't normal tree climbing. You're going to climb without using your hands." Sasuke gave him an alarmed look, Naruto looked excited, Sakura looked pissed, and Sayuri…

"So what then? Do we climb with our _feet_?" she exclaimed running a hand through her very short hair.

"Exactly!" Members of team seven were flabbergasted.

_Is that even possible? _Sayuri thought back to her training with Saito, all the drills he made her do expanding her chakra and releasing it, healing wounds, performing jutsu, BALANCING BOOKS! _If _that _helps with chakra control then this…_she watched her sensei make a single hand seal. _This might actually work._ She watched her teacher slowly make his way to the tree behind him and walk up to the branch like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"WHOA!" she exclaimed looking up at him as he dangled upside down from a tree branch.

"Do you understand now?" He asked. "Gather your chakra to the bottom of your feet and climb up the tree."

"Wait a minute how is learning how to climb a tree going to make us stronger?" Sakura asked confused.

"Here's the thing…listen closely…" his four students became quiet. "The purpose of this training is: first, to teach you how to control your chakra…to bring out the proper amount to the proper area. As I said before, this is the most important aspect when using jutsu. This can be difficult even for a skilled ninja. The amount of chakra needed to climb a tree is small but it must be exact, and it is said that the bottom of the foot is the most difficult area to gather chakra. Basically if you can master tree climbing than you can master any jutsu…theoretically."

_Theoretically…? _Sayuri quirked an eyebrow then glanced at Naruto as he trembled. _Is he…excited? _She turned to look at the three then to her sensei.

"The second point is for you to develop the stamina needed to control chakra properly. Depending on your jutsu, controlling your chakra properly can be difficult…as we saw with Sayuri." The young girl blushed and looked away crossing her arms.

_How long is he going to hold that over my head? I mean really! I didn't _KNOW _for crying out loud! _She narrowed her eyes, glaring at the green grass. _How was I supposed to have chakra control when I was too busy worrying about keeping Sasuke and Naruto alive? _A kunai landing a couple of centimeters in front of her snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Use those kunai to mark how high you get up the tree. Then use that mark as your goal and try to surpass it." He watched at his students bent down to gather the sharp object. "You won't be good enough to just walk up the tree at first, so get some momentum and try running up the tree. Got it?"

"This training is nothing for me! I can do it before breakfast! Because I'm the most improved!" Naruto spouted.

"Yeah and the shortest!" Sayuri taunted as she twirled the kunai in her hand.

Naruto growled and Sayuri glared. "All right you two break it up. Choose a tree and start climbing." The two glared at each other for a second longer then turned with grunt.

The four genin made a single hand sign. "All right here I go!" Naruto shouted and all ran off. Unfortunately the blonde took two steps before he fell on his head. Sasuke was at a good pace until he made an unexpected foot print on his tree.

_I can't believe this is actually hard._ Sasuke thought as he looked at his tree. _Too much chakra and the wood cracks. Too little and you don't stick at all…like Naruto._ He looked over at his team mate who was currently rolling on the ground holding his head.

_Well that seems about right._ Thought Kakashi as he watched his two male students.

"Aaaa!" Sayuri yelped. Just before she hit the ground she managed to land on her hands. The boys looked up at her three.

"Whoa!" Naruto gasped Sasuke stared.

"Hey this is fun!" All turned to Sakura who was sitting on a tree branch sticking out her tongue.

"It looks like the best at controlling their chakra are the females of the team…although Sakura has a better grasp at it than Sayuri." Sayuri blinked up at Sakura amazed still in a hand stand, besides her Sasuke dropped his head.

"WOW SAKURA! You're great!" Naruto shouted. _Although I'm a little upset that I couldn't even go up the tree._

Sakura dropped her head. _I wanted Sasuke to be impressed! Why does this happen to me?_

"Sakura seems to be the closest to becoming Hokage don't you think?" Kakashi said innocently getting Naruto's attention. "She may be the strongest konoichi in the village." Sayuri let her feet fall behind her into a back bend as she glared at Sakura. "As for the Uchiha clan…well they're not so great after all." Sasuke glared at Kakashi.

"Shut up sensei!" _Sasuke will get mad at me! _Sakura pointed at him angrily.

_Of course Sasuke, Naruto, and Sayuri have greater amounts of chakra than Sakura. If this goes well then they can become great assets._

Sayuri stood up then picked up her kunai she took a look at her mark. _I'm ahead of both of them…_she turned to Sakura's tree. _But it's not good enough! _She though determinately.

XXX

"OW!" Naruto yelped falling on his head once again.

"Damn it!" Sayuri mumbled as she slipped off the tree, quickly she scratched the tree with her kunai and back flipped landing on her feet. Sasuke was panting and Sakura was sprawled out beneath her three. Naruto swiftly got up and began to complain after a few seconds he turned around and headed over to Sakura.

Sayuri trailed him with her eyes until he kneeled down in front of the pink haired ninja. _Whatever…_ she rolled her eyes and stared up at her tree, two birds flying out of it. _Ok again!_

**Ok so there will be several scene changes in the next chapter. Be sure to leave your comments! Again anything works really =) Tell me what you want to see more of or what you like and don't like of the story. Please I need reviews, they motivate me! =D Thank you all for reading! Please review. **


	7. Of Training and Unexpected Truths

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

Of Training and Unexpected Truths.

The light shone through the windowsill making Sayuri groan. "Not yet…" she turned her back away from the light, pulling the covers over her head apparently the young konoichi didn't feel like waking up early.

"Sayuri…" there was a small muffled sound from under the covers, Sakura moved to shake her shoulder. "Sayuri, wake up…"

"Leave me alone Saito." Sakura twitched.

"I'm not Saito, now…WAKE UP!" she pulled the covers away from the young girl who was now glaring at the pink haired konoichi. "Kakashi sensei wants to speak with…you…" she trailed off as she saw a small stuffed bear being held close to the brunet's chest. "Uh…"

Sayuri sat up and quickly hid the bear behind her glaring more intensely at her team mate. "Not. A. Word!" she said her voice low. The rosette girl nodded and backed up allowing Sayuri to make her way out of the room.

She knocked on the sliding door and stepped in only when she heard a small 'come in.' "You wanted to see me sensei?" He motioned for her to sit down eyeing her pajamas, a loose black shirt and shorts.

"From what I saw yesterday…you've improved in the climbing exercise." She nodded allowing him to continue. "I can't be with the four off you today and Mr. Tazuna needs protection. I am going to send Sakura to trail the bridge builder and you…I'm going to have you keep an eye on Sasuke and Naruto. Got it?" she nodded her head 'yes' and he smiled behind his mask. "Good."

XXX

Sayuri had finished running around the house and finally came to a stop in the kitchen where Sakura and Sasuke sat eating. Both looked up at her a questioning look on their faces, Tsunami smiled at the girl and brought a plate of food to the table.

"Good morning. Here eat." The young girl nodded and went to her seat.

"Thank you." Tsunami beamed at her and continued with her morning routine. "Umm…" she turned to the two at the table after a couple of minutes. "Have any of you seen Naruto…I can't find him anywhere." Sasuke noted the small tone of worry in her voice.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he's gone to train some more..." Sayuri looked down at her half eaten breakfast ignoring the rest of Sakura's comment knowing full well that she was talking to Sasuke and not her. She got up surprising Sakura and getting a look from Sasuke.

"I'm done." She gave the plate to Tsunami. "Thank you, again." She smiled and ran out of the house.

"That was…fast..." Sakura twitched before hearing Sasuke get up.

"I'm finished too." He gave the plate to their hostess and left without saying a word leaving an opened mouth Sakura.

XXX

Ignoring the sounds of the animals running around in the forest she followed the trail over to their training spot, Sasuke following closely behind hands in pockets. He saw as she moved her head side to side as they walked and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I can't find Naruto." She stated as she stopped abruptly. Sasuke ignored her and continued through the trail until he spotted two people off in the distance. "What is it?" Sayuri ran up to him and peered around his shoulder to get a better look. "It's Naruto!" she said sounding relived and ran over to the blonde ninja only to stop when she saw his companion.

"I'm a boy." She heard the other say and get up turning to Sayuri, who blinked at him with surprise. "Hi there." He smiled down at her making the girl blush.

"H-Hi." She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and smiled weakly at the stranger whose smile only grew slightly.

"Aren't you a little young to be a ninja?" Sayuri gasped flustered, he only laughed. "Cute." He laughed once more noticing as she turned a bright red and walked around her meeting Sasuke who glared at him.

"Hey Sayuri, don't tell me you like the guy." Naruto teased from his seated position after the boy was out of hearing range. Sayuri turned to glare at him and bopped him.

"Shut up!" she snapped as he held his head.

"You missed breakfast you idiot." Sasuke muttered as he neared the two younger ninja.

"Aww!" Naruto whined dropping his head to which Sayuri responded by shoving a handkerchief wrapped around something round in his hand. He looked up questioningly at her before she smiled.

"Breakfast."

XXX

_They're improving….Naruto slightly more than Sasuke._ She noticed from her spot under a large tree as she took a rest. She looked up at the red and pink sky, with a sigh she turned to her tree and began to climb it sitting on one of the branches where she could over look the entire forest. The sun slowly began to set and she glanced down at her team after hearing an exasperated grunt. _They've been at it for hours now. _She climbed back down after a couple of minutes and saw Sasuke asking Naruto for help only to have the blonde say that he wasn't telling him. She let out a small giggle as she landed on her feet making Sasuke turn and glare at her.

After a couple more minutes of grunting, and some cursing coming from the blonde one of the two, Sasuke looked like he had enough as he stalked over to Sayuri who was currently twirling a kunai. He snatched the piece of metal from her, hand earning him a frown, and kneeled down in front of her. "Tell me…" she blinked at him clearly annoyed. "…Tell me how to climb the tree."

She snatched the kunai back from him and glared. "First, don't take things that don't belong to you. And second, that's a rude way to ask for help. " Both shinobi glared at each other before the Uchiha looked down.

"Please…" he said rather reluctantly.

_It's a start. _She sighed and put the kunai in her pouch. "Clear your head don't think about anything else other than the task at hand. If you keep some of your attention on wanting to beat Naruto, then you won't be able to fully focus on controlling your chakra." She placed a small hand on his shoulder. "Breathe, relax, and concentrate." She felt him stiffen and wondered why until she noticed that she _had her hand on his shoulder_, she quickly pulled it back and turned her head to the side. "That's all there is too it."

Nodding once he stood up and walked over to his tree. _Breathe, relax, and concentrate…_He ran her words over in his head made the hand sign and rushed over to the tree, he made it about five feet higher that his last mark before he fell back. Looking up at the mark he smirked at his accomplishment.

XXX

"Hey you two!" Sayuri smiled as they reached the top of their tree at the same time. Both looked proud to finally have gotten the hang of it.

"Let's go home!" Naruto said after a couple of seconds. Sasuke and Sayuri nodded in agreement and leaped down the tree.

"WE DID IT!" Naruto jumped up into the air before falling to his knees.

"Ok. Come on!" she moved to his right and put a hand over her shoulder, Sasuke doing the same on the other side.

"You know Sayuri…If it hadn't been for you Sasuke probably wouldn't have gotten it."

"Shut up, idiot."

"No, he's right." Sayuri stated smirking at the Uchiha. Naruto let out a laugh as they walked into the house.

"You guys look like something the cat dragged in." Tazuna said with a laugh from his spot in the table.

"We made all the way to the top!" Naruto said smirking.

"Good then tomorrow all of you will get to come and guard Tazuna." Naruto jumped up in the air happily, knocking both Sasuke and Sayuri off balance.

"You're such an idiot!" Sasuke muttered as he got up and moved away from him, Sayuri following the Uchiha.

Sakura and Sayuri shared the end of the table while Sasuke sat close to Sayuri on the left side, and Naruto sat close to Sakura on the right side of it. Tsunami placed the bowls of rice on their table all saying their thanks before digging in. Just as the rosette and the brunette ninjas took one bite of their rice the two males besides them began to stuff their faces. Sayuri gaped at them and Sakura twitched as she watched them eat every bit of rice off their bowl.

"More please." Both said simultaneously mouths still stuffed and then turned to glare at each other making the two girls sweat drop. The glaring continued until both felt the sudden urge to vomit right besides the two konoichi.

"WHAT'S THE POINT OF YOU EATING IT ALL IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO PUKE IT ALL UP?" Sakura snapped, a deep frown on her face. Sayuri merely blinked a couple more times before shrugging it off and continuing with her dish earning the stares of those around her.

"What?" she asked after swallowing another bite "I'm hungry." The rest just pushed their plates away.

"I don't get it." All turned to the 8 year old kid on the table. "Why are you all trying so hard when you're just going to die?" Naruto twitched at his comment.

"What'd you say brat?"

"You're all just going to die, so why even bother?" the boy stated once again.

"Inari!" His mother snapped

"Listen here brat I don't know what your problem is, but you're not going to get anything done by just sitting back and crying. It doesn't help anything or anyone so just suck it up and do something about it!" Naruto yelled from across the table. The kid began to tear up and ran off to his room.

"Wasn't that a little harsh?" Sayuri asked looking at Naruto who crossed his arms over his chest.

"He deserved it."

Sakura sighed and looked up at the picture frame behind their client. "Umm…Mr. Tazuna?" the man in question looked up. "Why is the picture missing a piece?"

The old man turned to look at it and turned back explaining to them that Inari's father was in that picture and who he was. All the while Sayuri looked at the ripped family picture in an almost trance like state. As soon as Sayuri heard that he died she got up from the table abruptly mumbled an apology and quickly made her way out of the house ignoring Sakura's and Naruto's calls.

XXX

The sea air came to her hard. Almost like a slap to the face as she ran to training area, all the while images of burning homes began to fill her head, followed closely behind by the images of the young silver haired blue eyed woman. She made a wrong turn and tripped rolling down a small hill. As soon as she hit the bottom of it she sat up, curled into a ball, and held her head.

_Stop it! _She squeezed her eyes shut only to see the young woman again. "GO AWAY!" She yelled and hugged herself.

"Yell all you want but I'm not leaving."

Sayuri gasped lightly and looked up seeing Sasuke standing in front of her, hands in his pockets looking up at the sky. "I…I…I didn't…I-I mean-"

"Forget it. Are you hurt?" Sayuri opened her mouth but nothing came out so she settled with nodding her head. The Uchiha sighed and sat besides the small girl who just buried her face in her knees. "Something's wrong with you…" he said in the same uninterested voice.

"Something's not wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine." She responded her voice muffled by her knees.

"Right." He took to starring at her as she curled deeper into herself.

She peeked at him when she heard him shift. He took out a small box and put it between them. "What's that?"

"It's yours."

She raised an eyebrow at him "What…?"

"Just take it." He kept his eyes fixed on the sky.

"Why?"

"Today's your birthday so just take it."

"How do you know?" she asked sitting up a bit alarmed.

"Stop being stupid and asking stupid questions, I've always known…since you turned five."

She starred at him then the box. "But…how…I mean I don't…I don't remember you."

Sasuke turned to her then, a small shocked expression flickered on his face before he skillfully hid it away. His hands began to clench as he suddenly felt angry. _She doesn't remember me? _

"I…don't remember anything before I was six actually." She looked up at him her face an open book letting Sasuke know exactly how it was she felt. Angry, sad, hurt, confused…

"If you want it take it, if you don't just throw it away." She watched as he began to walk up the hill before graving the small black box.

"Hey Uchiha!" he turned slightly to her. "…Thank you…." He turned and continued to walk away leaving her alone once again. With a small sigh she opened her present and took out a small necklace with a silver bell on it, she quirked an eyebrow and smirked. _What am I? A cat? _She smiled at it and put it on.

XXX

"All right is everybody set?" asked Kakashi as he stood outside Tazuna's home.

"Naruto's still sleeping sensei." Sayuri said looking at the house; Kakashi sighed and turned towards the road.

"Let him sleep, he must still be tired from the training he did yesterday." And with that the three genin, jonin, and bridge builder left to do their duty.

**Sorry it's short and that it took a while to upload. Thank you for reading and please review. Until next time! **


	8. The Bridge and the Mist

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

The Bridge and the Mist

"Isn't it a bit quiet?" Sayuri asked as they neared the bridge. Kakashi looked forward Sakura and Sasuke looked wary. They stopped at the entrance and found bodies everywhere. With a small gasp Sayuri covered her mouth horrified. "What-?"

Tazuna ran to the only one who seemed to still be conscious. "What happened?" he asked holding the injured man.

Steadily the area began to fog up. "They're coming!" Kakashi warned. Quickly the ninja took their positions, Sasuke on Tazuna's right, Sayuri on his left, and center behind Kakashi. Both Sasuke and Sayuri had taken out a kunai while Sakura held her hand near her holster and Kakashi near his pouch.

_I was right. He survived and he's come back to finish what he started. _Kakashi made a single hand sign his eyes narrowed trying to find their attackers hiding spot.

"Sensei is this that man we met…his 'hiding in the mist' technique?" Sakura asked trying to see through it.

Sakura glanced over at Sakura before focusing on what was in front of her. Besides the rosette girl Sasuke had begun to shudder.

"It's been a while Kakashi." A voice suddenly came from the thick mist. "And I see that you still have those kids tagging along just like last time." He laughed. "And look at that. The boy's trembling." Suddenly they were surrounded by Zabuza's clones.

"I'm shaking with…Excitement." Sasuke said as he looked at the man before him.

"Go ahead Sasuke." Kakashi assured and instantly the clones around them turned into water. Sayuri looked to her right focusing on the two figures that stood there.

"Looks like you've got competition Haku." The swords man said as the mist cleared slightly.

"It would appear so." The boy in the hunter nin mask answered.

"Why don't you take of the mask? You're not a hunter, so what is it that you want to hide?" Sayuri questioned as she tightened her grip on the piece of metal.

The boy let out a small laugh. "I've grown rather attached to it actually."

"Is that so?" Sayuri smirked bending forward slightly.

"That one's mine" Sasuke murmured when he noticed a change in Sayuri's stance.

Sayuri glanced at him before offering a small smile and a curt nod.

"That was quite a show you put on before. But we're on to you now…and I hate to harm actors."

"Sasuke's so cool!" Sakura sighed and Sayuri twitched at the girl besides her.

_What_ _is _wrong_ with her? _Sayuri wondered.

_Sakura challenges everything Naruto says or does, but she takes Sasuke completely at face value, without question. _Kakashi thought giving his student a somewhat disappointed look.

"Impressive kid isn't he. " Haku whispered. "Even if the water clones were only one tenth of the original…it's still amazing he was able to do so well."

"But we're still on the offensive. Go!"

"Yes sir." In a sudden gust of wind the boy vanished alarming the ninja before him.

The sound of metal against metal seemed to echo through the bridge. To the untrained eye the two seemed like blurs as they fought each matching each other strike to strike.

_He can keep up with Haku's speed. _Zabuza narrowed his at Sasuke as he watched them fight.

"Sakura, Sayuri, we need to cover Mr. Tazuna. Sakura take this side Sayuri stay where you are."

"Yes sir." Both said simultaneously as Sakura ran to the spot that Kakashi had abandoned to move to center while Sayuri kept her eyes on the match.

"I don't want to have to kill you, but you won't leave quietly will you?" Haku said as he stood in front of Sasuke his senbon against his kunai.

"Don't be stupid."

"I just thought that you wouldn't be able to match my speed for long. And I've laid the ground work for two attacks."

"Two attacks?" Sasuke echoed.

"Fist, there's the water splashed all around us. Second, I've trapped one of your hands, which leaves you only one hand to protect you from my attacks." Suddenly he began to weave signs alarming the Konoha ninja.

_What the-? _Sayuri thought brown eyes getting wide.

_He's making hand signs with just one hand? I've never seen anything like it! _Kakashi thought alarmed.

"Secret art: the thousand stinging needles of death!" He stomped his foot and automatically the water around him rose freezing Sasuke in his tracks.

"SASUKE!" Sakura cried out. Sayuri growing alarmed by the fact that her team mate didn't seem to be able to move, panicked.

"**SASUKE WAKE UP!**" Suddenly the Uchiha's head snapped up.

"_Breathe, relax, and concentrate" _Sasuke blinked _Sayuri.._.? _That's right the training! Summon my chakra and focus it on my feet!_

Just before the attack hit Sasuke moved out of the way. Haku then avoided the shuriken that were thrown at him and narrowly missed one that was aimed at his head. Sayuri and Sakura watched at their team mate proceeded to match their attackers speed finishing off with a kick to the chin.

The boy only back flipped and made more hand signs. Sayuri narrowed her eyes recognizing the jutsu and wove some of her own.

"Secret art: A thousand needles of death!"

"Water style: Water fall Jutsu!"

The needles were swallowed up by the water wall that was created around Sasuke, forcing Haku to focus on the girl that stood in front of her team mate.

"You're not the only one that knows how to play with water." She smiled at him the barrier around the Uchiha coming down with a splash. Suddenly the water rose around the hunter and turned into spikes crashing down on the boy who jumped out of the way landing in a crouch only to be slammed up into the air and whacked down by a whip of water.

"That's what you get for underestimating my team and name calling." Kakashi said impassively. "He may not look like much, but Sasuke is the number one rookie of the year. Sayuri there is the youngest of her year, graduating two years after she entered the academy. Sakura here is our sharpest mind…"

The rosette girl blushed and stuck out her tongue. _That's for sure! _Inner Sakura thought.

"And let's not forget, the most unpredictable ninja, Naruto."

At this Zabuza began to laugh catching Sasuke's and Sayuri's attention."Do you understand, if this goes on you could end up dying at the hands of the very ones you tried to spare."

"Pity." Haku mumbled

The air suddenly turned cold making Sayuri tremble slightly. Both ninja watched as the boy before them made a single hand sign and watched as the water around them began to rise.

"Secrete Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors!"

_I don't know this jutsu. _Kakashi thought before rushing to his two students only to have Zabuza stand in the way.

"Let's not forget, I'm your opponent…Our children can play together while my boy kills your two." He gave Kakashi a sadistic smile.

Sayuri looked to the right then left and above "…Mirrors…?" she wondered out loud and noticed that Haku had appeared in every single one of them. _Creepy…_

"Now that everything's in place…" his voice echoed in the chamber.

_What's he planning to do?_ Sasuke wondered as he looked around him.

"Let me show you some real speed!" they watched Haku take out a needle and hold it up in front of his mask.

_Ow! _Sasuke winced noticing he had a new cut on his arm.

Sayuri gasped touching her cheek then looked at her hand noticing the dark red blood on her fingers. Suddenly the two ninja felt as if they were being ripped to shreds from every direction.

Sasuke let out a grunt as he tried to shield himself from the attack.

Unable to take the pain Sayuri screamed.

_Sayuri! Sasuke! _Kakashi leaned forward but Zabuza stopped him.

"Any sudden movements and I kill those two."

"You…!" Kakashi glared at the man.

"SASUKE! SAYURI!" Sakura yelled out worried.

The attack suddenly stopped, Sasuke landed on his knees while Sayuri landed on her side, both breathing heavily.

Brown eyes moved to take at look at the blue clad ninja besides her taking in every one of his cuts, then moved over her own body before wincing.

"Sorry Mr. Tazuna…but I'm going to have to leave you for just a bit." Tazuna looked at Sakura before sighing.

"Go ahead. I'll be fine." Sakura ran of to the side taking out a kunai.

"**Sasuke!**" both trapped ninja looked up, Sasuke holding out a hand to the kunai only to end up with nothing as Haku caught it.

Sayuri let out a small groan and winced when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. _Damn…_

Without warning Haku was thrown out of his mirror catching everyone by surprise.

"Na…Naruto!" Sayuri sighed relieved as she pushed herself up. Ignoring the fact that Naruto was rambling off about being the hero, when he should have been hiding, to attempt an ambush.

Zabuza suddenly threw shuriken at Naruto, who readied himself but was surprised to see Haku deflect them with his own weapons.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zabuza growled.

"Please let me deal with this boy on my own." His student responded.

"So you want me to keep my hands off him…How charmingly naïve of you."

Both Sayuri and Sasuke scoffed at his comment. _Naïve my butt! That guy is killing us slowly in here!_

"The idiot's here…" Sasuke said sounding relived. "With him on the outside we should be able to break through the mirrors and escape." Sayuri nodded happily at the thought of getting out.

"So what's the plan, guys?"

Sayuri squeaked and jumped back slightly. "Sasuke please tell me that's not Naruto behind me." She almost pleaded too afraid to turn around.

"Argh!" Sasuke growled glaring at the blonde. "Naruto you idiot _now _how are we supposed to get out?"

"Eh?"

"Never mind!" the Uchiha snapped, then watched as Haku re-entered the mirrors.

Sayuri groaned and covered her face with her hands. _We're doomed!_ She looked up at Sasuke who was doing a series of hand signs. "What are-?"

"These mirrors are made of ice, right?" Sasuke asked.

"Ye-yes." Sayuri answered as she stood behind Sasuke.

"So, what does that have to do with anything?" Naruto asked.

"Well if the mirrors are made of ice then I should be able to melt them."

"What?" The blonde looked at Sasuke as if he had lost his mind

Sasuke growled at Naruto. "Figure it out! Fire style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" Sayuri eyes widened as a ball of fire engulfed the mirrors in front of them. Trembling she fell back too afraid to do anything else.

When the fire subsided Sayuri let out a shaky breath. _What's that about? _She wondered as she held her hands in front of her face and watched them shake.

"That won't work." Haku stated as he appeared on the mirror directly above them. "Get ready."

The three looked up as a flash of light blinded them, a sudden force sending the three flying backwards. Sayuri gasped as she hit one of the mirrors the two males grunted when they made contact with the cement. Getting up slowly, Sayuri glared at the masked ninja before her as he took out more needles. Narrowing her eyes she began to form a series of hand signs just before the flash of light took over again.

"Wind style: Barrier!" The two boys in front of her braced themselves for an attack that never came. Sayuri let her hands down and glared at Haku. "Get up! We need to find a way out." She told her two team mates who gaped at her with surprise. She watched as Haku prepared for another attack, quickly she made the same hand signs creating another barrier.

"Naruto! Sayuri!" both turned to look at Sasuke. "I'll distract Haku, you guys try finding a way out. Then when one of you is out attack from the outside on my command got it?" Both nodded and turned back to the hunter nin. "Ready…" both Naruto and Sayuri adjusted their stances bending forward slightly. "GO!" Sasuke rushed forward while Naruto and Sayuri split.

"Oh no you don't!" Haku said throwing senbon at both Naruto and Sasuke. He turned to Sayuri and rushed to her. The brunette raised her arm ready to punch the mirror but Haku caught it by the wrist at the last second pushing him back slightly and cracking the mirror a bit making the boy grunt.

_Too strong…_ he thought tightening his grip on her wrist. "I can't let you go running around with that kind of strength now, can I?" the young girl tugged at her arm and glared.

"Sayuri!" Naruto and Sasuke yelled out as she was pulled into the mirror. A second later a small thump came from the opposite direction. Both turned to see Sayuri on the ground. Rushing over to her Sasuke turned her face up and put his fingers to her neck.

"She's alive." The Uchiha said after a couple of seconds.

Turning to Haku, Naruto glared. "**WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?**" He growled.

"Don't worry she'll survive."

Sasuke turned back to his unconscious team mate and shook her lightly_. Come on! Wake up!_

A small moan made Naruto turn back to Sayuri with a worried expression.

"Where…?" her vision blurred she rubbed her eyes and saw Sasuke and Naruto leaning over her. "AH!" She jolted up looking at her surroundings before glaring at the masked boy. _We're good but he's better._

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" Naruto suddenly turned into fifty as he rushed at Haku. _If I attack all of them then I should be able to get to the real one._

Both Sasuke and Sayuri watched as the clones disappeared one by one, neither one touching Haku. Besides her Sasuke stiffened and narrowed his eyes just before they were bombarded again with the needles.

Moving quickly Sasuke moved to shield Sayuri from Haku's attack. Both landed on the ground, Sasuke holding the brunette's head to prevent it from hitting the cement floor, Naruto landing a few feet besides them.

"Naruto can you do that again?" Sasuke asked as he sat Sayuri up.

The blonde grinned. "Ha! Leave it to me."

Dazed Sayuri watched Naruto create more clones and attack Haku.

"There!" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Confused Sayuri squinted at the clones as Sasuke kicked some water into the air and her eyes widening from their findings.

Naruto landed on the ground besides Sayuri with a grunt, readying himself for another attack before Sayuri covered his hands with one of her own.

"They're not clones…It's just one of him." Sayuri said as she took to glare at the Haku to her right.

"So you've figured it out. All I need is the mirrors to move from one end to the other. I move so quickly that to me all of you appear to be moving in slow motion…You might as well be standing still."

"It can't end like this! I have a dream to fulfill!" Naruto shouted. Sayuri looked over at Naruto her eyes warm as she remembered how he ranted on and on about being Hokage.

"I have my own dreams as well. Please try not to resent me, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect those dearest to me. I am willing to sacrifice myself to help that person fulfill his dreams. And if to do so, I have to turn my heart to stone then so be it. I will become a full shinobi…and I will kill the three of you."

Sasuke and Naruto moved in front of Sayuri all three smirking at the boy before them.

"Go ahead and try it." Sayuri said as she stood up making a single hand sign.

**Ok so I read over the last chapter and I didn't realize that I changed it completely, I'm sorry if it bothers you. Any way please leave me a review I like reading what you have to say about my story, all of you motivate me to keep going. Until next time.**

**Please review! Thank you!**

.


	9. Sorrow

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

Sorrow

"Hidden Art: Wind Vortex!" A gust of air swirled around them raising the water from the ground. She quickly made another series of hand signs. "Hidden Art: Piercing Needles!" the water split and turned into senbon before flying off into different directions each one cracking the mirrors slightly.

"Not enough!" Haku launched at her, Sasuke, and Naruto throwing them back. Slowly Sayuri pushed herself up and formed a seal.

_For a moment her eyes flashed purple and blue. _Haku thought as he concentrated on the girl preparing for another attack.

"Wind Barrier!" the needles came but didn't hit their targets.

_There it is again…!_

Panting Sayuri glanced at the other two. _I can't keep this up…_She fisted her hands and looked down. _I'm already running low on chakra! _

Sayuri felt herself being lifted up and out of the way as she watched five senbon hit the ground where she once was. With a grunt the one who carried her dropped to his knees. Her mind registered the blue t-shirt and relaxed. Naruto landed besides them with a sigh.

Her brown eyes took in their tired forms before she made one hand sign a green glow coming out of her hands. She placed one on Naruto's shoulder and another on Sasuke's both turned to look at her with shock.

"What are you-?" Sasuke started but stopped as he saw the young girl smile up at him.

"You two have to keep going. Forget about me, I'm about to become a liability." She gave out a small laugh before putting her hands down. "I have enough chakra to put up a decent fight, during that time find a way to escape, trying to defeat him isn't an option now." She breathed heavily and leaned forward feeling the ground tilt.

"But, Sayu-"

"Just do what you're told, Naruto!" she snapped. "I've got his attention, he'll want to take me out first…I should be enough of a distraction." She reasoned with the two as she got on her feet.

"Still we can't just leave you behind." Sasuke countered. "Kakashi would have our heads if we did."

Naruto grinned at the 10 year old girl and nodded.

"It's your funeral." She smiled.

XXX

"**Sasuke! Naruto! Sayuri! Don't you dare loose to a guy like him!**" Sakura yelled out.

"Don't encourage them, Sakura!"

"Huh?" The pink haired konoichi looked over at her sensei, wondering what she had done wrong.

"Even if we knew of a way to counter his technique…your team mates wouldn't be up to the task of defeating the boy."

"Wh…what do you mean, sensei?"

"None of them have developed the psychological strength to turn their hearts to ice and take a human life." Kakashi said warily. "That boy has lived with the emotional anguish to become a true shinobi."

"No true shinobi can be born of a place like your village, a place of weakness, of peace…" Zabuza laughed. "You don't live with death, or grow up needing to kill to ensure our own survival."

"But sensei…what can we do?" Sakura wondered

"You'll forgive me if I put an end to this." Kakashi placed a hand on his headband.

XXX

"I'm sorry guys." Sayuri grunted as Naruto put her down.

"Argh! Sasuke we've got to stop reacting and take an initiate!" Naruto yelled.

"Shut up and get on your feet. I can't fight him watch out for the two of you at the same time!"

Haku took out another senbon alarming Sasuke. _He's coming…!_ He attempted to get away but stopped as he felt a needle hit his knee.

_Crap! _Sayuri took out a kunai from her pouch and blocked as much of the senbon as she could before she became a target.

A high pitched scream echoed to them Sayuri glance up alarmed.

_That voice…Sakura! What happened? What does Kakashi think he's doing? _Sasuke thought.

"Sa…Sakura" Naruto groaned still trying to get up.

_If this keeps up, we'll all be in serious trouble. _Sasuke looked over at Sayuri who was trying to tug Naruto up. _My eyes are beginning to adjust to his movements…_The Uchiha slowly got on his feet focusing on Haku.

_I've been targeting all of the points that would result in mortal injury but he's evaded every attempt…_Haku studied Sasuke trying to figure it out. _And while he's been dividing his focus between watching me and looking out for his friends, he's been gradually gaining speed…That boy can see something._

Sayuri glanced up at Sasuke then at Naruto. _We're a distraction…_ Brown eyes softened as she stared at the blonde. "Sasuke…" her voice cracked a bit but it got the Uchiha's attention. "Worry about yourself. Naruto and I will be fine…"

Coal black eyes narrowed at her, while she smiled.

"I'll take care of him, you're the only one who's been able to see through, and keep up with, his attacks."

He gave her a curt nod before turning to Haku. _Concentrate…_ Sasuke turned to his left. _There! _

Sensing Sasuke shift Sayuri pulled Naruto over her shoulder and jumped out of the way. Landing on a new spot she looked up just in time to see a group of senbon heading her way. Instantly a wall of water came up preventing them from hitting their target.

_It was only for a moment but I could see! _He then turned to the girl opposite him. "Are you okay?" Sayuri turned to Sasuke to respond but found herself gaping at him.

"Sasuke…your…your eyes…they're Sharingan."

_He's not the only one with a kekkei genkai…_Haku looked from Sasuke to Sayuri remembering the wall that appeared a few moments ago. _I saw them…her eye color changed back there…_

"I can see that I can't drag on this battle for much longer. My own jutsu requires an extensive amount of chakra limiting my time of use of it. And with your eyes you'll be able to perceive my movements sooner or later." Haku took more senbon out. _It would be useless to attack him directly…_ He saw Naruto and then Sayuri, the blonde behind the brunette as she crouched in front of him trying to wake him up.

"Time to end this!" Haku launched himself ready to attack.

Sayuri looked up to see Haku heading towards Naruto. _No! _Scrambling she took out her kunai and moved to protect the blonde's back.

XXX

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura cried out as she saw her teacher get hit across the chest.

"You're slow on your guard…far too worried on trying to save those brats. Even with your impressive eye and the ability you hold with it, the ability to see through my attack is flawed." Zabuza laughed. "Don't worry Haku will be done with those kids of yours soon enough…And I'll be reuniting you with them shortly. When you meet them in the afterlife beg them for forgiveness over your weakness."

"**Sasuke won't be that easily beat! And neither will Sayuri or Naruto!**" Sakura retorted.

"You're right." Kakashi assured his pink haired student. "I believe in their strengths…Naruto's unpredictability…As well as the fact that Sayuri and Sasuke are two of the most worthy heirs to two of the most powerful clans in Konoha."

"What are you talking about…?"

"Sasuke's full name is Sasuke Uchiha…Sayuri's is Sayuri Marihasha. Both carry their clan's kekkei genkai in their genes."

"An Uchiha and Marihasha…So that girl, is the daughter of Yūkan Marihasha and Nagisa Mizuchi…" Zabuza laughed. "I'd be careful with that girl Kakashi…her mother was a traitor after all. I wouldn't be surprised if she turned her back on those boys of yours." He laughed again. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know."

XXX

She closed her eyes for an attack that never came slowly she peeked from behind her eyes lids. Horror showed in her face as she saw Sasuke standing before her dripping in blood. "You…you…"

Behind her Naruto grunted, blue eyes looked over at Haku who laid on the ground. "Sasuke you…!" Naruto turned to the Uchiha only to be shocked by the scene.

"Wipe that dumb expression of your face…idiot."

"Sasuke…" Sayuri gasped.

"Wh-why?" Naruto yelled out.

_Why…?_ Sasuke repeated the question in his mind.

XXX

_**Sayuri backed up slightly "Ah…um…" she unconsciously began to play with her sleeve looking anywhere but at the Uchiha before her. **__No use in hiding it now__**. She straightened up and turned to Sasuke. "We need to work together. If we don't then-"**_

"_**No thanks."**_

_**XXX**_

_**Turning to him, she smiles down. "Need help?" she asked innocently, teasing him. **_

_**Sasuke glares at Sayuri before she drops down to her knees with a sigh. Placing her hands on the ground she begins to move them side to side, as if she were sweeping the dirt, and slowly the earth around him begins to shift until he's free. "Here…" she holds out her hand but Sasuke ignores it and pulls himself out.**_

_**XXX**_

_**With a sigh Sasuke looked down at his food and brought it up to Naruto's face. "Here."**_

_**XXX**_

"_**Hey…are you hurt, Scaredy cat?" Sasuke taunted Naruto. "Ow!" The Uchiha turned to glare at Sayuri who dropped her hand to her side.**_

_**XXX**_

"_**OVER THERE!" **_

"_**Aaaaah!" Sayuri screamed latching on to the closest thing to her. She pried open her eyes and saw that Naruto had thrown a kunai at nothing.**_

"_**I…uh guess it was only a mouse." Naruto said dismissing the fact that he had just put the entire group in a state of panic. **_

"_**NARUTO! DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Sayuri yelled at the blonde who laughed nervously.**_

"_**Sorry, Sayu- whoa!" Naruto pointed at her. She gave him a weird look unsure of what he was pointing at.**_

"_**Sayuri! Let go of my- I mean Sasuke!" Sakura screamed mortified. **_

"…_**?" She looked at herself then at what she had encircled her arms to. Looking down at her was the Uchiha who seemed to be frozen in his spot. "Ah! S-sorry! I- I uh…" she let go of him, like he had just burned her, and put her hands in front of her, waving them frantically, a light shade of pink filling her cheeks.**_

_**XXX**_

_**She placed a small hand on his shoulder. "Breathe, relax, and concentrate." She felt him stiffen and wondered why until she noticed that she had her hand on his **__**shoulder**__**, she quickly pulled it back and turned her head to the side. "That's all there is too it."**_

_**XXX**_

_**She peeked at him when she heard him shift. He took out a small box and put it between them. "What's that?"**_

"_**It's yours." **_

_**She raised an eyebrow at him "What…?" **_

"_**Just take it." He kept his eyes fixed on the sky.**_

_XXX_

"Why did you… I told you that I'd take care of it! Why didn't you listen?" Sayuri cried out."

"I don't know…my body just moved on its own." Sasuke began to sway and fell back, Sayuri catching him.

"I swore I wouldn't die…until I killed my brother…but…" Naruto looked down at him stunned. Sasuke looked from the blonde to the brunette, back to Naruto and then to Sayuri, noticing her squeeze her eyes shut. He held a hand to her cheek. "Don't…don't cry…" he turned to Naruto. "...You've got to get her out…so…don't you dare die!"

Both ninja watched their teammate die before them unable to do anything about it.

**Thanks for reading and please review! Thank you. **


	10. Memory

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

Memory 

"Sa-Sasuke…" Sayuri's voice quivered as she looked at him. "Sasuke…" she began again her voice cracking as she shook him lightly. Her hand began to emit a green glow, placing it on his forehead she closed her eyes at the information that flooded her mind. _He's dead…he's really gone…he-he isn't waking up. _Tears began to roll down her cheek and onto the boys dark blue shirt.

Naruto sat frozen as he stared at his teammate, a tear slowly making its way down his cheek.

"He struck a blow at me, and then without any sign of shirking…" Haku slowly got up. "He sacrificed himself for you. He was a shinobi worthy of the highest respect…who in order to protect someone he cared about, threw himself headlong into what he knew full well was a trap." Walking to the mirror behind him he took one look at the two ninja left. "Is this the first time a comrade of yours has died? This is a ninja's path."

"Shut up…" Naruto growled, Sasuke's words echoing through his head. _I won't forgive you for this…_

Haku looked at Naruto alarmed. Sayuri turned to the blonde as she felt a cold, ominous, chakra.

"**I'm going to kill you!**"

Sayuri watched as he got up, his wounds healing rather quickly, and his chakra manifested itself right before her eyes. "Na-Naruto…?" Sayuri whispered her eyes wide. Suddenly he launched himself at their masked opponent.

_He's blood so thirsty! He's completely changed from the boy of just minutes ago!_ Haku threw senbon at Naruto who only growled and they seemed to bounce off. Feeling overwhelmed with the amount of chakra that was coming out of Naruto, Sayuri tried to move out of the way dragging Sasuke with her.

Suddenly Naruto roared creating enough pressure to dent the cement and cause a gust of wind to ripple through the area. Covering her dead teammate's body with her own Sayuri took the hit of several rocks of cement that flew her way. The next thing she heard was a crash and suddenly the mirrors around her began to crack and fall. Taking a look above her, Sayuri made three hand signs creating a dome of air that bounced of any pieces of ice that fell her way.

Sensing everything to be over she let the jutsu down and panted as the world began to spin around her. She took a look at the direction of where she heard the fist crash but saw nothing but mist. Then she looked back at Sasuke feeling her breath catch at her throat. Her chest began to tighten once again as she tried to gulp down the lump that was currently preventing her from breathing. Brown eyes turned red from unshed tears as she looked down at him.

XXX

"_**Tag! Your it!" A small girl laughed as she caught up with her playmate. The young boy narrowed his black eyes on the girl before setting of after her. **_

"_**No, you're it!" **_

_**The young girl gasped and whirled around. "No fair! You're too fast Sasuke!" **_

"_**Well what do you want**_** me**_** to do about it?"**_

"_**Run slower!"**_

_**The young Uchiha scowled "I can't do that! Why don't **_**you **_**run faster!"**_

"_**I CAN'T!" She retorted . The young girl turned to the boy who had been silently watching the whole scene. "Itachi, tell Sasuke to run slower!" She pouted.**_

"_**Sasuke…" Itachi began.**_

"_**But brother, that isn't fair!" **_

"_**Lady Sayuri is five, you're seven…there are times when you will have to play by her rules because it really isn't fair for you to tag her back thirty seconds after she tagged you."**_

XXX

Sayuri's eyes were wide as she stared down at Sasuke.

"You'll have to bloody your hands. Forgive me for that." She turned to the voice that reached her ears. _I know that voice… _Her mind took her to the morning before, remembering the boy she had met when she was looking for Naruto.

"Is that…Is that the only way? Is that really what you want?"

_That's Naruto…he sounds different. Calmer._ Her dark brown and light brown eyes narrowed trying to make something of the outlines she saw in the fog. _One of them is moving! _Sayuri saw as one of the two figures darted towards the other only to stop seconds before hitting their intended target.

XXX

"Isn't that the boy in the mask?" Tazuna asked Sakura who had her hands over her mouth.

_He jumped in the way to save Zabuza…_Kakashi felt the grip on his arm tighten slightly before hearing Zabuza laugh.

"That was brilliant Haku."

Kakashi looked from his arm to the boy he had hit. _He's already dead…_ Kakashi thought sadly sensing Zabuza move Kakashi narrowed his eyes at him. _He's going to cut right through the kid to get to me!_

_**I am your weapon and your tool…**_Haku's voice rang through Zabuza's mind. "**I really did find a treasure in that gutter, to think that he would grant me this marvelous chance in the end.**"

Moving quickly Kakashi took the boy and jumped out of the way, removing his hand once he had landed safely away from his opponent.

"So you were able to get away because poor Haku was already dead." Zabuza laughed.

Behind him Naruto growled. _That scumbag!_

"Naruto…Stay out of this!" Kakashi warned before closing Haku's eyes. "This is my fight!"

_Naruto…? _Sakura thought as she heard his name. "Naruto! You're alive!" She cried out getting the blonde's attention.

"Sakura?"

"So what about Sasuke…and Sayuri?" At Sasuke's name the orange clad ninja stiffened. "Well…Naruto…?" Sakura asked but received no answer.

Sakura watched as Naruto turned from her. Kakashi momentarily turned his attention on Naruto.

"**Focus Kakashi! Don't let yourself be distracted!**" Zabuza yelled as he rushed to the silver haired jounin only to be sent flying back as Kakashi kicked him in the abdomen.

Noticing Sakura tremble, Tazuna leaned towards her. "I'll stay with you. That way you won't be disobeying your sensei's orders." The pink haired konoichi nodded, took the man's hands, and ran past Naruto.

XXX

Hearing footsteps Sayuri rubbed her eyes furiously.

_That's… _"Sayuri!" the brunette stiffened recognizing her teammate's voice. Sakura ran to stand right in front of Sayuri who didn't have the heart to look up knowing full well how her teammate's face would look. Kneeling down Sakura placed a hand on Sasuke's cheek and began to tremble.

"He's so cold…This isn't an illusion is it…?" Sakura mumbled as she looked from Sasuke to Sayuri.

"Don't hold back for my sake. There are times when it's alright to give in and shed some tears." Tazuna told the two girls who continued to stare at each other.

"You…You know…I-I always got perfect scores on all my tests at school. I memorized every one of the 100 rules of shinobi conduct. I wrote them each out with pride…" Sakura smiled sadly at Sayuri whose eyebrows furrowed sadly. "We had a test one day and the question was…_What's the 25__th__ rule of shinobi conduct?_" Her voice cracked as she looked down at Sasuke. "Just like always I wrote it down… _No matter what happens true shinobi must never show their emotions…The mission is the only priority. Carry that to heart and never, never sh-shed a tear._" Sayuri bit her lip as she watched Sakura lean over Sasuke and sob.

_So this is what a shinobi is…_Tazuna thought as he watched the two girls, one crying over a dead body the other struggling to stay in control. _It's unbearable. _

XXX

"_**Kenji…?" a young Sayuri tugged at the sleeve of the boys outfit. **_

"_**What is it?" He placed the monkey mask that he had been cleaning on the desk beside him and turned to the eight year old girl.**_

"_**Where's Saito?" **_

"_**On a mission."**_

"_**Oh…" the girl looked down.**_

_**Tilting his head the teen smiled. "What's that you have behind you?" The girl blushed lightly feeling embarrassed as she looked up at Kenji.**_

"_**It's a book…from school. It has the ninja rules." **_

"_**I see…and…?" he waived his hand as a go on signal. **_

"_**Well…umm…do ninja really…do they…" she fumbled through the words before turning to the book opening it to a folded page and thrusting the book at the teen.**_

_**She watched as he silently read the rule and then look at her with a smile. "Once you're a ninja the need for a clear head is crucial. Emotions only cloud our judgment. If we act upon them we not only put our lives in danger but the mission as well."**_

"_**But we're supposed to have emotions…its natural...right?"**_

"_**Yes…because as humans no one is perfect."**_

XXX

Everything was pitch black. _Am I…dead?_ There was a distant sob.

"Sasuke…"

_Sakura…? Am I…Am I…? _"Sakura…your arm's heavy…"

Opening her eyes Sayuri looked at Sasuke completely stunned. _He…_

"**Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!**" Sakura latched on to the boy happily.

"Sakura…You're hurting me…"

"Oh! I'm sorry…" Sakura rubbed her cheek against his before letting go completely.

Black eyes focused on Sayuri who stared at him dumbfounded. "Are you…alright…?"

Sayuri focused on him and smiled. "…Yeah…"

"How's Naruto? And what about the creep in the mask?" Sasuke asked as he tried to stand.

"Don't try to move! Naruto's fine! And the boy in the mask is dead…" Sakura answered.

"Dead?" Sasuke and Sayuri both looked equally shocked.

"Did Naruto-?" Sayuri finally managed.

"No…I mean I'm not sure I didn't see it very well…But the boy died trying to protect Zabuza." Sakura smiled after a couple of seconds. "Sasuke you're amazing! You survived a deathblow!"

_Not me. Him._ Sasuke thought. _He never planned to from the start…_

"**Naruto!**"

Recognizing Sakura's voice he turned to her. "**It's Sasuke! He's all right…He's alive!**" The pink haired girl shouted and the blonde happily began to tear up.

"I've been worried but those two survived after all." Kakashi mumbled as he watched Sayuri and Sasuke the two listening to Sakura's rant over how amazing the Uchiha heir was.

"**Hey! Aren't you sweethearts forgetting something?**"

Alarmed Team seven turned to the large crowed of tugs. "**You ninja killed our meal ticket! And now you're gonna die!"**

"**The only way to break even now is for us to loot every business and home in this town!**" The men began to rush at them only to stop a second later when an arrow hit the ground.

"**Stop where you are. This is our home. One step further and you'll die!**"

"Is that the entire town?" Sayuri asked as she looked behind her, spotting Inari.

"I think so…" Sakura answered

"Good one kid. Mind if I join in?" Naruto made a single hand sign _Shadow Clone Jutsu! _

_I can't manage anything solid…But a bluff should be enough for these bozo's… _The silver haired jounin mused before making a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu…Kakashi style."

"There's so many!" Sakura exclaimed while Sayuri gaped at her sensei.

"Now shall we?" The men slowly backed away before turning around retreating.

"Looks like it's all over…eh Kakashi?" Zabuza asked.

"Yeah…"

"Kakashi do me a favor…"

"What is it?"

"I want to…see his face…"

Kakashi yanked his head band down over his eye. "Sure…" All watched as Kakashi took the spears that were lodged into their former opponents back before picking him up and taking him over to his dead partner.

"It's snowing…" Sayuri mumbled as she opened a palm before her letting the small white balls hit her hand and melt into water.

"But it's the middle of spring!" Sakura said completely confused.

"Uh-huh…" Sayuri stared at her palm in a daze, and began to sway.

"**Sayuri!**" Sakura cried out watching as Sasuke swiftly caught the brunette before she hit the ground.

"What's wrong with her?" Tazuna asked as he kneeled besides Sasuke trying to get a better look.

"Let me take a look." Kakashi kneeled on the other side and placed a finger on the pulse by her neck. _She's still alive…_He moved his hand to touch her cheek and narrowed his eyes. "She's got a fever…she used to much of her chakra…" He looked over at Sasuke who narrowed his eyes down at the girl. "She'll be fine, but she needs to rest in order to regain the chakra she lost."

The Uchiha nodded and allowed Kakashi to pick her up.

XXX

"We're home!" Tazuna bellowed as he entered the house followed by Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

"Has she…?"

Tsunami nodded sadly. "No. Inari has been watching over her the entire day but she has yet to wake up."

"Is that normal sensei?" Sakura asked as she walked over to the silver haired jounin. "You woke up a couple of hours after you exhausted your chakra but Sayuri's been sleeping for 2 days now."

"You have to keep in mind that Sayuri's still inexperienced. Just because she can perform jutsu doesn't mean she's anywhere near my level of experience."

"Oh…" Sakura nodded looking down at the floor before noticing Sasuke make his way to the table. _He's been so quiet since the event at the bridge…_

XXX

The door slid open alerting Inari who turned startled. "Oh! It's just you." The boy sighed before turning back to the brunette on the makeshift bed "She likes it when I talk to her; I can tell because the color on her cheeks comes back for a bit…so maybe you should talk to her too. It might help her wake up." Slowly he got up, dusted his pants and moved to the door. "By the way she asks for you…" Sasuke looked at the boy with slight surprise. "She talks in her sleep sometimes." Inari smiled and left closing the door softly behind him.

Sasuke stared down at Sayuri for a few seconds before sitting down on the floor besides her. He looked at the window hearing the ocean waves roll in and back before speaking. "We guarded the bridge builder today…nothing happened though everything seems to be going fine with the construction and-" he stopped abruptly glaring down at the sleeping girl. _Why am I even doing this she can't hear me that kid—_

"…And…?" Sayuri mumbled. Slowly her eyes began to flutter and turned to him. Her left hand rubbed her eye before fully focusing on the Uchiha.

"You're awake." He muttered impassively.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." She muttered rolling her eyes and turning her attention to the ceiling. "What time is it?" Sasuke watched Sayuri as she stared out the window both quiet as the heard the roar of the waves.

"I thought you died…" It was barely above a whisper but he heard it none the less. "I…I almost cried, because I…knew you…" she turned to him with a sad smile. "…Right?"

Sasuke sighed and glared at the girl. "When the boy in the mask headed towards you-" his hands turned into fists for a couple of seconds before relaxing. "…_You_ could've died, idiot. You let your guard down! As far as I'm concerned this was all _your _fault."

Sayuri stared at him with mild shock, which quickly turned to anger. "YOU JERK!" Sayuri yelled out launching at him, hand raised and ready to punch him only to have her feet give out on her and fall on him. Her cheek rested against his shoulder, his torso supported most of her while her hands hung loosely on either side of him. "I can't move…!"

"You exhausted your chakra, moron." He shifted so that he could push her up by the shoulders. Holding her steady he picked her up and placed her back in bed.

"If I could move right now…I would slap you!" she said through gritted teeth as he laid her head down on the bed.

"We buried the masked boy and Zabuza."

"His name was Haku." Sayuri muttered sadly. "What about the bridge is it finished?"

"No. The bridge builder said it'd be done by tomorrow."

Sayuri nodded once and looked away a light pink tint on her cheeks. "I'm…really glad you're ok, Sasuke." The Uchiha heir took to staring down at the girl before him before leaving the room.

XXX

"Thanks to you, our bridge has been completed. But it's going to be awfully dull around here once you're gone." Tazuna said as team 7 stood by the newly constructed bridge.

"We've enjoyed your hospitality." Kakashi answered his one eye smiling.

"No problem old man. We'll come by real soon to play with you again."

"You better…aw…" Inari struggled to keep himself from crying, Naruto as well.

_Really…? _Sayuri thought as she eyed the two boys before her.

"Inari, don't let it get you down. It's okay to cry once in a while." Naruto said his voice quivering.

"**I'm not gonna cry…but Naruto…big brother…y-you can cry! Go ahead!**"

"Me? No way. See ya." And with that Naruto turned to walk away with tears in his eyes.

"Don't worry he'll miss you." Sayuri whispered besides Inari and smiled. "Ok! See you! Thanks again for taking care of me!" Sayuri yelled out as she ran to her team who waited for her to arrive.

"**All right-! Let's get home! Iruka sensei said he was going to treat me to ramen when I get home! And then…and then you know, I have to tell little Konohamaru my epic tale of martial arts and bravery!**" Naruto enthusiastically pumped his fist in the air.

"Oh…uh…ok. By the way Sasuke, when we do get home…would you like to go out somewhere with me?" Sakura asked hopeful for a 'yes.'

_Oh brother…_Sayuri thought as she tried hard not to roll her eyes.

"Uh, no thanks." The stoic Uchiha replied crushing the pink haired girl's dream.

"Hey Sakura, _I'll _go out with you!"

"**Naruto that was a private conversation!**" Sakura yelled as she punched the blonde who cried out in pain.

"It's not so private when you say it so loud and clear for everyone to hear." Sayuri muttered before she too felt a punch in the arm. "Ow! Sakura!"

"That's what you get!"

"All right you three break it up!" Kakashi said with a sigh.

Grudgingly each turned to their destination minds set on Konoha.

**Thank you all for reading! Please review I read each one I get. =)**

**And once again Review! **


	11. Exams?

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

Exams…?

The sun rose over the mountains that surrounded the village hidden in the leaves. Sayuri sat on the rooftop of her home watching the sky slowly turn pink. She pulled her knees towards her chest and rested her head on them. She watched the sun rise but while her body was facing the light her mind was somewhere else.

XXX

"_**Stay right there Sayuri." The silver haired woman whispered as she smiled down gently at the small girl. **_

"_**But-" The woman hushed her and cupped her cheek. **_

"_**Stay." Slowly she closed the door to the closet and Sayuri sat quietly leaning her head against the door. **_

_**The door swung open abruptly, a set of footsteps were heard as someone came into the room. "Nagisa…" It was a man, Sayuri covered her mouth. "Where is she?" there was no response and the man laughed. "Come now...Nagisa just tell me where she is and I'll let you go." **_

"_**Forget it! Leave now before I decide to take your miserable life." Her voice was full of malice. **_

_**The man laughed once more and the sound of metal hitting wood echoed through the room. **_

"_**My, my, my…Aren't you a little spunky for a commoner." **_

"_**I haven't forgotten my training. Leave my daughter and me alone!" **_

"_**Not likely!" Sayuri heard furniture being shifted and thrown. She heard metal against metal and slight grunting. Suddenly everything went quiet. Sayuri bit her lip and strained to hear any sound. There was nothing. **_

_**A cry echoed through the room startling Sayuri. **__Mother!_

XXX

"Lady-" Saito put a hand on her shoulder only to have her slap it off and glare at him. "Lady Sayuri…?" he asked warily. Her glare disappeared as she blinked once as if snapping out of a daze.

"S-Saito…I um-" She watched the blonde man sighed and put on his roster mask.

"You'll be late for training if you don't hurry."

"Training…?" her brows furrowed in concentration until she jumped up alarmed. "Oh! Darn it! See you later Saito!" with a wave of a hand she jumped down onto solid ground and ran into the village.

Saito crossed his arms as he watched his charge go.

"You're worried, Captain."

Saito turned to a young man standing behind him a monkey mask covering his face. "She's slipping into trances…" The older sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Keep an eye on her while I'm gone Kenji."

"Sir!" Kenji saluted his superior as he disappeared. _Lady Sayuri…what kind of trouble are you getting yourself into __**now**__…?_

XXX

"Sakura! Sasuke! Naruto!" The three turned to Sayuri as she ran towards them.

_Finally! _Inner Sakura cried out relieved. Both the rosette and the brunette girls watched as the males of the team momentarily glared at each other and turned away.

"Um-" Sakura shook her head at Sayuri.

"I don't know either." She said as her green eyes semi-glared at the two. Sayuri sweat dropped as she watched the scene.

_Well this is…interesting…_her brow twitched in annoyance.

XXX

3 hours later…

"Good morning class! Sorry I'm late I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."

"Oh please!"Sayuri snorted.

"Your nose is growing, sensei."Sakura pointed.

"As far as ninja deception goes…that sucked!" Naruto said crossing his arms into an X.

"Hey Kakashi sensei! Any hot new missions for cell 7? We've had nothing but scraps! Boooring! We want action! A challenge! Something where I can use my skill-Like this…And…this…And-and…" The blonde began to go through moves showing his sensei.

"Will you put a cork in it?" Sayuri growled bopping him on the head before turning to Kakashi. "Please let's just get this over with."

The silver haired jounin twitched and sighed at his team. "All right let's get moving."

XXX

Sasuke and Sakura carried a heavily injured Naruto while Sayuri and Kakashi walked quietly behind them.

"You would've been fine if you hadn't over done it!" Sakura chided as Naruto groaned.

"Well…we did finish the missions faster." Sayuri countered and Naruto brightened up a bit. "Although you did pull out the flowers from that lady's garden and you did almost fall down the water fall and almost got that poor dog killed."

Naruto shrunk at that and groaned even more. "But over all you did good!" Sayuri added quickly and smiled.

"You're not really helping…"Naruto muttered and Sayuri sighed.

"You're a real nuisance." Said the stoic Uchiha.

Naruto finally snapped. "**WHAT'D YOU SAY?**" Naruto yelled getting ready to fight.

"If you start anything more I'll burry you!" Sakura said raising her fist.

"I think you're taking it over board." Sayuri said crossing her arms.

Sakura turned her glare at Sayuri. "Well I don't see _you_ doing anything to help!"

"You're not helping much either pinky!"

"That's it!" Sakura let go of Naruto and fully faced Sayuri, who merely crossed her arms and looked up at the teen with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you going to do? Try to teach me a lesson?" Sayuri taunted. The attention of the three males was solely on them.

Sakura growled. "Watch it pipsqueak!"

"Oh, please." Sayuri laughed and rolled her eyes. Suddenly both got into a full on glaring contest.

"U-Um S-Sakura…Sa-Sayuri…why don't you two calm down…ok…?" Naruto tried to mediate rather nervously as the two girls continued to ignore him. "Sakura…? Sayuri…?"

"**SHUT IT NARUTO!**" Both yelled not taking their eyes of each other.

_Oh man…this is bad!_ The blonde thought as he backed up a bit.

"You two are acting like children." Sasuke said as he crossed his arms.

Sayuri whirled around and glared at the stoic ninja. "Oh, _we're_ acting like children…" She gestured to Sakura and herself. "What about you and Naruto? You two can't stand to be in each other's presence anymore and yet _we're_ acting like children? Please!" she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

Kakashi looked from one student to the other and sighed. "Calm down you two… It would seem that this cells teamwork has been almost nonexistent since we came back from the land of waves."

Both the Uchiha and Marihasha scoffed at their teachers comment.

"Whatever." Sayuri mumbled crossing her arms over her chest.

Kakashi noticed a hawk flying over head and sighed. "All right. That's it. We'll call it a day for right now. I've got to go and hand in my report for today's missions."

"Good. I'm done here." Sayuri said as she turned on her heel and walked away leaving the rest of team seven behind.

XXX

The village was crowded as Sayuri walked through its center watching as people went into stores and as some walked out. She looked from stand to stand admiring the jewelry and several items that they displayed.

Two shadows watched as she carefully picked up a necklace and examined it.

"Is that her?" one asked as they watched the aged owner talk to her.

"It is." The other responded crossing his arms as they watched her laugh at something the old man said. Both turned to each other and nodded once before disappearing.

"That's a very fine necklace you've got there yourself, Lady Sayuri."

The young brunet brought her hand up to touch the item around her neck and smiled. "It was…a birth day gift."

"The bell on it looks like it was crafted out of white gold and that's no ordinary thread you've got there…" the man leaned in a bit to get at a better look. "I've never seen anything like it. Whoever gave it to you thought about your status as a ninja…it doesn't look like the type to break easily."

Sayuri blinked dumbfounded at the jeweler and nodded. "You don't say…" The man smiled down at her and nodded.

"Either way…feel free to look around if you find anything of interest, you go ahead and call on me." Sayuri nodded and watched as he turned to another customer.

"Hello there." Sayuri turned to see two teen aged boys, one slightly taller than the other.

"Um…hi." She responded warily.

"Name's Hajime." Said the tallest with green eyes and silver hair. "This is Diachi." He gestured to his friend with dark brown hair and light brown eyes.

"I'm-"

"Sayuri Marihasha. We know." Hajime smiled triumphantly. Sayuri on the other hand twitched and took a step back.

"There's no need to worry, we're ninja of the leaf…see." Diachi pointed at his right arm and showed the girl his head band Hajime doing the same.

"We just thought we'd say hello. Our father's work in the ANBU so we've seen you with Captain Saito, but we haven't been able to introduce our selves." Hajime laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh. Well it's nice to meet you Hajime, Diachi." Both teens smiled at her and bowed.

"Likewise. But we need to go now…hopefully we'll meet with each other again." Sayuri nodded and watched them leave with a confused look on her face.

XXX

"Now then…" A group of jounin stood before the Hokage. "We'd like to hear first from those who have overseen the training of our newest junior ninja." Three jounin stepped forward. "Masters Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma…tell us…do any of you have among your charges any new Genin that you'd recommend for this year's journey man selection exams?" The third watched each of them carefully. "You may begin Kakashi."

"Cell number 7, led by Kakashi, consist of Sasuke Uchiha, Sayuri Marihasha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno. I vow upon the honor of my clan, the Hatake, that all four of them are ready for the Chunin selection exam."

"What?" Iruka gasped in shock.

"Cell Number 8, led by Kurenai, consists of Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. I vow upon my own clan, the Yuhi, that I am as certain as my esteemed colleague that all three are ready for the Chunin exam."

"Cell number 10, led by Asuma, consists of Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. I vow upon my clan the Sarutobi, that I am equally as certain that all three are ready for the Chunin exam."

The 3rd narrowed his eyes at the three elite ninja. "How unusual for all three of you to have unhesitatingly assented. "

"Wait…Wait a minute!" Iruka stepped forward.

"Yes Iruka?" The Hokage nodded at the instructor. "Forgive me if I'm out of line, but most of the ten students just named…were my students while at the ninja academy. Certainly they are gifted and show commitment and talent…but it's too soon for kids that young to be stepping up to the Chunin level. Only with time will they have the experience and maturity that exam requires. I don't understand why their instructors fail to see that."

The three jounin in question turned to Iruka.

"I was six years younger than Naruto when I became a Chunin." Kakashi pointed out.

"Naruto's not like you! Do you want to destroy those children? You all know what they call the Chunin selection exams don't you!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the teacher. "They complain of every mission given to them. Just for once I think it will do them good to know what real pain is. Besides let's admit it…it'll be fun to break them down."

"Are you out of your mind?" Iruka retorted appalled by the idea.

"It was a joke. I understand and I'm sorry if my recommendation upsets you but I stand by it. It's none of your business anyway…they're not your students anymore…their soldiers under my command."

Iruka gritted his teeth. "What about Lady Sayuri…your team has an extra member…she's the youngest out of the ten. Can she sit it out?"

"No. Out of the four in cell 7 she is the one that needs this test the most."

"But-"

"That's enough Iruka. Sayuri will not be participating with cell 7. Instead she will enter the exam with her original team...cell 5."

Iruka turned around as he felt someone step up behind him. A young man with black hair and green eyes stared hard at him before turning to the Hokage. "I assure you that my two students are well qualified for this exam lord Hokage."

XXX

_Who's that…? _Sayuri wondered as she stopped by the market taking note of a red haired boy walking alongside a tall male whose face was partially covered. She watched as the older of the two mentioned something and getting a simple nod from the younger and watched as the older male left.

Narrowing her eyes she took note of the gourd he carried on his back and noticed the dark circles around his eyes. The headband tied on the strap of the gourd glinted slightly catching her attention. _Sand ninja…? Why are they here? _

She put the fruit that she had picked up, while watching the red headed boy interact with the older male, down and followed silently behind as the red headed ninja weaved his way out of the crowded market.

Following leisurely at a safe distance and keeping her chakra hidden, she trailed him all the way to a fence. Thinking that he was about to confront her, the young brunette panicked and began to look for a place to hide only to have the boy suddenly vanish.

"Wha-"

"Kankuro don't!" she heard him say. "You're a disgrace to our entire village." Alarmed Sayuri looked up the tree and saw the boy that she had been trailing not so long ago hanging upside down from the tree on the other side. Her eyes trailed off to the left and found that Sasuke was on the tree as well.

"It annoys me that you'd lose control in a quarrel with children! Have you forgotten why we came here?"

_Children? _Her eyes wondered from Sasuke to the read head.

"But Gaara, they started it. The little one slammed into me!" she heard a second voice retort.

"Shut up…or I'll kill you." The read head's voice turned from impassive to malignant in a second, making Sayuri shutter and act on instinct by jumping on the fence and taking a look at the scene.

"You're right I was out of line." She watched as an older boy apologized looking as if he was scared out of his wits.

"We're sorry…okay Gaara?" a blonde teen girl apologized besides him.

"There's more of them…" Sayuri thought out loud catching everyone's attention.

Naruto and Sakura looked surprised over at Sayuri. The two sand nin below stared at her in shock. Sasuke turned around slightly alarmed but quickly hid it and Gaara glanced over at her and stared with indifference.

…_How did she-? _Sasuke though as he narrowed his black eyes.

_That girl I couldn't sense her until only a couple of minutes ago… _Gaara thought his interest suddenly peaked.

"Lady Sayuri!" The girl in question turned to the young 8 year old boy who stared up at her happily. _Now he's going to get it! _Konohamaru thought as he ran up to the girl who was now a few feet away from him. "That guy wanted to hurt me!"

"He what?" Sayuri narrowed her eyes at the boy she assumed to be Kankuro, her chakra suddenly breaking free from the restraint she had put up beforehand.

"I apologize for my companions." She heard Gaara mutter to Sasuke and her as he disappeared and reappeared before her. "I know we're early but we didn't come here to mess around."

"I swear it won't happen again." Kankuro apologized again.

"Let's go."

"**WAIT!**" the boy turned around as Sakura stepped forward.

"Yes?"

"Your headbands…According to your head bands the three of you come from the village hidden in the sand." The pink haired konoichi stated firmly.

Sayuri crossed her hands over her chest and narrowed her different colored eyes. "According to our treaty you are not to be in the village without just cause. As ninja of Konoha it is our duty to be informed as to why you are here."

"She's right!" Sakura nodded. "We can't just let you go your merry way."

The blonde girl scoffed and presented her papers. "Weren't you informed? As you guessed already we're Genin from the village hidden in the sand. We're here to take the Chunin selection exams."

"Chunin…selection exams…? What are those?" Sayuri sighed and shook her head at Naruto.

_How he ever graduated the Academy will always be a mystery. _She then looked over at Gaara and at Kankuro. _The selection exams are up already…I wonder if any of the rookies from our year will be recommended. _Besides her Naruto was talking excitedly to Konohamaru while the blonde angrily scolded them for their lack in manners.

"Hey! You there what's your name?" Sasuke asked as he landed next to a sweat dropping Sayuri.

"Who me?" the blonde girl blushed causing Sayuri to give her an are you kidding me look.

"No! I was talking to the spook besides you."

"Nice manners Uchiha." Sayuri muttered to a smirking Sasuke.

"Gaara of the Desert, at your service."

"And you two are…?" Sasuke and Sayuri suddenly stood up straighter.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sayuri Marihasha."

"**Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't you want to know my name?**" Naruto asked.

"No. Let's go." Gaara stated firmly and turned followed shortly by Kankuro but not by their blonde companion.

"Marihasha…?" the blonde echoed in thought before something in her clicked. "You're the princess!" Both Gaara and Kankuro stopped dead in their tracks and turned to stare at the brunette girl across from them.

"What?" Both Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.

"No. I'm not." Sayuri said uninterested.

"Yes of course you're Lord Yūkan's and Lady Nagisa's daughter!"

_Lord...? _Sakura thought as she eyed Sayuri who had suddenly seemed to grow uncomfortable.

"I-I assure you, I'm no princess."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at Sayuri before turning around. "Let's go Temari." Hastily the blonde gave Sayuri one last look before running off.

"Lady Sayuri!" Konohamaru ran up to the girl only to get bumped in the head.

"How many times do I need to tell you **not **to call me that?" the girl snapped.

"Sorry big sis." The young boy pouted as he rubbed his head.

Sayuri turned to Sasuke and smiled. "Thank you…Konohamaru can be trouble sometimes."

"Hn." Was the response of the famous Uchiha.

"I should've known that a brick wall like you wouldn't respond to even a simple thank you! I don't know why I even bother!" Sayuri threw her hands up in the air before folding them behind her head.

Above them three ninja stared down at team seven and the young academy students.

"What do you think?" one asked.

"Sayuri just called you a brick wall!" Naruto laughed.

"None of them are of any importance…" the one sitting down began.

"Ow! Sakura what'd I do?" Sayuri whined.

"Don't pick on Sasuke!"

"Except for the raven haired one and the spook from the sand. Keep an eye on them. I'm going to look more into that girl…"

"I'm pretty sure _Sasuke_ can defend himself." Sayuri retorted as she avoided another of Sakura's outbursts.

**Ok I want to thank all of you who comment! Like I said before I read every single one and I try to respond to them as soon as possible. There's a possibility that I'll post a drawing of Sayuri on Deviant art so that you can see how she looks like so tell me if you want that or if you'd prefer to keep Sayuri up to your interpretation. **

**Again please review. Tell me what you like about a chapter or ask questions I will try to answer them without spoiling the story for you. Thank you all for reading. =D**


	12. New Team Mates

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

New Team Mates

"Hello Lady Sayuri." Kenji said as he passed the kitchen doorway heading towards the door. The dark haired man stopped, hand on the doorknob, with a sigh he turned back around. "And _what _exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked the girl who was eating patiently at the table.

"Eating…" she said taking another bite. "Want some?" she offered nodding towards the pan that held two eggs.

"Aren't you supposed to be with your team?" the man asked crossing his arms, green eyes stern.

"Maybe…"

He sighed once again before nodding his head. "Make sure to lock the door on your way out." And with that Kenji left the house.

XXX

"Hello!" Startled Naruto and Sakura turned to see their teammate standing behind them with a smile on her face.

"Sayuri you're late!" Sakura chastised.

"Is Kakashi-sensei here?" the young brunette asked.

"No."

"Then I'm not late." She reasoned with a shrug of the shoulders.

_As much as I hate to admit it she makes a good point…_Sakura thought regretting getting up early and not being able to blow dry her hair, taking note of Sayuri's short semi unkempt warm brown hair.

"Morning guys!" Kakashi said as he appeared on top of the gate of the bridge. "Today I wondered a bit from the path of life…"

"**YOU'RE SUCH A LIAR!**"

"**Would it kill you to at least pretend to be sorry?**" Both Naruto and Sakura yelled out while the Uchiha and Marihasha sighed at their sensei's latest attempt for an excuse.

"In any case…this may surprise you, but I've recommended all four of you for the Chunin selection exams."

"**SAY WHAT?**" Sakura exclaimed.

"Good one sensei you almost got us." Naruto crossed his arms.

Kakashi presented them with four slips of paper. "You have to fill out the applications."

Sayuri blinked at the forms for a second before looking up at her silver haired teacher in disbelief.

"I love you Kakashi sensei!" Naruto yelled out as he hugged the Jonin.

"Get off…you're embarrassing me!" Kakashi exclaimed trying to push the blonde off.

"If any of you don't wish to compete, the exam is completely voluntary. The choice is yours. You needn't turn in the forms if you don't want to. If do, report to room 301 at the academy by 4:00 tomorrow in the afternoon."

Sayuri read over the application and looked up at her teacher. "This says three members per group…how can all four of us participate?"

"Then…" Sakura began. "Does that mean that one of us can't go?"

Kakashi's visible eye squinted as he smiled behind his mask. "Ah…Well you see Sayuri you will be participating with another group in the exam."

"Another group?" both Sayuri and Naruto asked confused.

"That's right. You see there's a second year Genin team that's missing a member and both students are eligible for participation…" Kakashi crossed his arms. "Their teacher and I have made arrangements to allow you to join the team. I've also arranged that you meet with them for some dango in the center at noon. Either way it's completely your choice as to whether or not you want to participate…three members are just the max they allow per cell."

"…Ok…" _A new team…? I can barely stand this one and they're putting me in another? Are they nuts? _Sayuri mentally panicked wanting to pull out her hair at the moment.

"Well…that's all!" And with that their teacher disappeared.

"Well Sayuri…" Sakura began shakily. "I guess you'll be our competition…huh?"

"Yeah I guess…what time is it?"

_Not good…Forget Sasuke, I can't even keep up with Naruto… _The rosette girl watched as Sayuri tilted her head as she looked at the shadows. _Sayuri's even stronger than me and she's _11_! _Sakura looked down sadly.

"Well it's almost noon so I might as well head off. See you guys tomorrow!" They all watched as the youngest member of team seven headed off.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her back. _Why would Kakashi put her in a different team now of all times?_

XXX

She stood outside the dango store, looking up at the sky.

"So we meet again…" Turning around to the familiar voice she saw Hajime and Diachi.

"Ah! I see that you three know each other. I'm glad. That means no introductions!" Sayuri gasped as she saw who stood behind the two boys.

"Kenji?" she exclaimed. "Is this a joke?"

"I find that insulting Lady Sayuri." Kenji narrowed his green eyes at the young girl who twitched in response.

"Don't call me that!" She snapped as she crossed her arms and looked away.

Kenji laughed at her actions and patted her head. "Well let's get something to eat, shall we?"

XXX

Hajime whistled as the three reached the academy. "Look at that…how many do you think are participating?"

"Beats me." Diachi answered as he stood next to Sayuri who stood hands on her hips staring at the academy.

"Let's go!" Diachi ordered and soon the other two followed the dark haired teen.

"What's going on?" Sayuri wondered as they watched a large group of Genin circling a door. Scanning the group of teens there she spotted one in particular. "I'll be right back!"

"Wait!"

"Lady Sayuri!" Diachi and Hajime called after her as she quickly became lost in the crowed.

"Hey you! What's your name?" A tall long haired, white eyed, boy came up behind the Uchiha who merely turned and smirked at the upperclassman.

"It's considered good manners to give your name first before asking for another's."

"And since when do you have manners Sasuke?"

Both teens turned to the small brunette, behind the Uchiha, who leaned around him and smiled at the white eyed boy.

"Hi Neji!" she waived.

"Lady Sayuri…" Neji nodded in acknowledgement and earned himself a scowl.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me _Lady_…!" Sayuri sighed and shook her head in resignation.

"You two know each other?" Sasuke asked his attention on the girl.

"Of course! Since I was four…right Neji?"

The teen shook his head. "Three."

"Oh!" she laughed and scratched her head out of habit. Two boys suddenly appeared behind her alerting the other two before her.

"Do you have any idea how _hard_ it is to find someone your height in this crowd?" Diachi scolded at the eleven year old and sighed when she rolled her eyes.

"You found me didn't you?" Diachi twitched and Hajime patted his back smiling.

"Patience Diachi…She doesn't like being told what to do, remember." Both Neji and Sasuke watched as the dark haired boy steadily relaxed and took a deep breath.

"Have you finished what you came here to do L-Sayuri?"

She smirked up at him. "Nice save and yes I have." She turned back at her former teammate and at her old friend. "It looks like I'm needed elsewhere. It's nice to _see _you again Neji!"

The white eyed boy sighed and gave the girl a light smirk. "It's only been a week."

"Who cares? You're supposed to look out for me!"

"I thought you hated it." His voice was bland but his eyes showed slight amusement.

"Well now I miss it!" Neji sighed and shook his head.

"There's no pleasing you." Sayuri rolled her eyes and turned to the Uchiha.

"Do your best with those two." She gestured to Naruto who openly glared at the three and Sakura who was, at the moment, trying to get Sasuke's attention.

Both Sasuke and Neji watched as Sayuri walked in between the two new faces and turn the corner.

_She remembers him but not me…!_ Sasuke thought as he glared at Neji who promptly returned it, both boys scoffed and looked away.

XXX

"There's…so many…!" Hajime murmured besides Sayuri as they received full on glares from the batch of ninja.

"Most aren't even from our village…" Sayuri thought out loud as they carefully made their way to an empty desk, Diachi gave her a curt nod as they sat, the two on the bench and Sayuri on the table.

Both boys kept their guard up trying to pick up any malice directed at their new teammate.

_This is too much of a chore…Kenji-sensei asked us to keep an eye on her but she's a real handful. I wonder if she ever does as she's told…_ Diachi thought as he ran a hand through his dark brown hair.

"Well, well, well…look who finally showed up." Hajime gestured towards the door as they all heard a loud proclamation from an all too familiar voice.

"**MY NAME IS NARUTO UZUMAKI AND I'M GOING TO BEAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!**" Naruto exclaimed earning sudden death glares from the entire room.

"Is that idiot _trying_ to get himself killed?" Sayuri mumbled as she slowly slid off the desk only to be stopped by two hands; one around her wrist the other clutching at her shirt.

"If he gets himself killed let him!" Hajime said not taking his eyes off the blonde ninja, taking note of the other Genin that had gathered with him.

"They're our competition…the quicker they're eliminated the better. It makes it easier on us." Diachi said firmly as he looked her in the eyes.

For the first time since she can remember Sayuri felt uneasy. She felt herself squirm at their touch and when she was unable to move, shrunk back and away from the two. _How can they say that…?_ Sayuri felt sick. _He's…they're my _teammates_ why would I be happy if they got hurt? That's just…_ She needed air. _Cruel… _She snatched her had away and promptly slapped Diachi's hand off her shirt.

_She still doesn't know what it takes to become a full fleshed shinobi…_ Hajime observed as he watched the young girl look back at team seven in concern. _She's a princess…a stubborn, strong, but innocent princess. _Hajime smiled his gaze softening at the girl before him. _If only she could stay innocent…_ He sighed and leaned back on his seat looking up at the ceiling, until something caught his eye.

Both Diachi and Hajime sat up as they noticed three ninja moving at a fast pace past them and towards the group that had gathered at the front of the class, their actions aimed at the silver haired man that stood with them.

"What?" Sayuri turned to the two, suddenly curious; when she received no answer she turned back to the front only to see the silver haired young man bend over and puke. Naruto and Sakura hurried over to him in an attempt to help him.

"He dodged the attack but he still…" Diachi trailed off in thought as he narrowed his light brown eyes on the silver haired ninja. "What village do they come from Hajime?"

"Their headbands indicate sound."

"Sound…? Those three are from the sound village?" Sayuri turned to her team who nodded in unison just as everyone around them began to talk amongst themselves.

"Would everyone please just shut up?" A loud voice came from the back of the room by the blackboard as a loud explosion and poof of smoke engulfed the room. When it all cleared several ninja in uniform stood before them, a tall man with a black trench coat at the center of them all. "Sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Ibiki Morino; I am the proctor and chief examiner for the first part o the exam." Everyone tensed up and gulped as he raised his arm and pointed at the front of the room.

"You! The kids from hiding in sound! You can't carry on any way you please when the exam's about to start! Or do you want to be disqualified?"

The three looked over at the proctor and apologized. "Sorry sir, it's our first exam and we got a little carried away."

"Is that so?" He smirked. "Then it's high time someone laid down a few ground rules. From this point forward there will be no fighting without the express permission of the examining officer. And even if that permission is granted, anything that endangers another participant's life is strictly forbidden. Any of you who break that rule are out. Disqualified. No second chances. Got that?"

"So this is an exam for little girly men." The second male sound ninja with black hair said as he looked at Ibiki. The rest of the proctors sneered at the comment.

"As you wish. The first part of the selection exam is about to begin. Turn in your written applications, take one of these seating assignment cards, and report directly to the seat indicated." He showed the room a little piece of paper with the number one written on it. "When everyone's seated we will begin the written part of the test." At this each proctor took out several sheets of papers and held them before them.

"**A** **PAPER TEST?**" Everyone heard Naruto exclaim in shock.

XXX

_Number 80…_ Sayuri moved slowly along with several other Genin who looked for their seat numbers on the desk. _60…70…80!_ Brown eyes looked up from the desk to the person sitting next to her and her face fell. "Sasuke…"

"Sayuri…" he acknowledged. Her right eyebrow twitched as she sat down.

A tap on the blackboard got their attention as they turned to Ibiki. "There are a few big rules that pertain to this test. I'll write them on the board and explain them. I'm not taking questions so listen up!"

Sayuri leaned forward focusing on the proctor, Sasuke interlacing his fingers and directing his full attention on the man.

"Rule number one each of you starts out with 10 points. The test has 10 questions each worth 1 point. For each question you get wrong we subtract a point from you. Get all 10 right and you retain all 10 points. But, for example, if you get 3 questions wrong we take the 10 points and subtract 3 points from them leaving you to have a total of 7 points. Rule number 2, this exam is still a team event. Passing or failing will be determined by the sum of the points each team has at the end. The object is for each team to have as few deductions as possible."

At this Sakura slammed her head against the table, Sasuke looked like he was in shock, and Sayuri stifled a laugh as she stared at Sakura's back.

"Rule number 3, if during the course of the exam, a candidate does anything out of the ordinary…In other words anything that leads the proctors to determine that he or she has cheated…we subtract two points from each member of the cheaters team. In all probability some of you may run through all your allowance of points during the test. If so you'll be failed and ask to leave."

_I get it…_ Sakura thought as she narrowed her eyes. _There are more ways to lose a point than just missing a question._

"I'll be looking over your shoulders when you least expect it." One of the proctors said as he leaned back on his chair with a smirk.

"If you let any of the proctors catch you cheating, you'll bring yourself and your friends down! If you aspire to become a Chunin…If you want to be the best shinobi you can be…then you'd better start acting like you already are."

_Get a hold of yourself Sakura! It's too bad about Naruto, but Sasuke and I should be able to retain enough points for all three of us… Even if Naruto gets every last one of them wrong. _The rosette girl tried to reassure herself getting ready for the test to come.

"One more thing…" Ibiki called out regaining everyone's attention. "If any individual looses all 10 of his or her points, that person's entire cell, regardless of how the other two members do, will be disqualified!"

Besides her Sasuke stiffened, eyes wide in shock something that rarely happened, and Sakura looked mortified as far as Sayuri could see.

_Naruto you're dead when this is over…_ She thought with a small sigh as she shook her head knowingly at the blonde.

"I can feel them from here…Both wanting to kill me already!" Naruto mumbled sadly.

"You have one hour…starting…**NOW!**" Everyone flipped over their test and began.

**I know it's more of an Ibiki scene than it is Sayuri but it's the exam! XD Either way please review, any comments or questions are welcomed. =D**


	13. The Answer is Given

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

The Answer is Given

_Question number 1: Decode the following cipher and summarize its meaning._ Sayuri read the code and quickly wrote down the answer. _That's simple…Question number 2: The parabola marked B represents the greatest effective the enemy shinobi, A, could throw a shuriken from a top of a 23.3 foot tall tree…Calculate the specific features of the scenario and deduce the range of then shuriken's effectiveness, assuming a consistent speed for shinobi A's assault upon any enemy shinobi operating within the arc that the flight of shuriken describes. Show your work._ Sayuri blinked at the question for a couple of seconds before grudgingly drawing the parabola and writing down formulas besides it. _What the hell is this? A physics test? _She began to jot down the possible speed and applied them to the formulas. _We're damn shinobi! We shouldn't even be doing this! _She 'humphed' as she circled the answer.

Besides the young brunette, Sasuke busied himself with looking over the questions only to realize that he didn't know how to answer a single one. He watched from the corner of his eye as Sayuri jotted down answers to the test and then suddenly stop on number 7.

_None of these questions make sense…They continually get harder as I go. _Sayuri looked up at Ibiki and then off to the side watching the proctors look up and take notes on their grade books.

"_**Rule number 3, if during the course of the exam, a candidate does anything out of the ordinary…In other words anything that leads the proctors to determine that he or she has cheated…we subtract two points from each member of the cheaters team."**_She tilted her head to the side and looked back at Ibiki. _**"If you let any of the proctors catch you cheating, you'll bring yourself and your friends down! If you aspire to become a Chunin…If you want to be the best shinobi you can be…then you'd better start acting like you already are."**_Sayuri blinked and tried hard to resist the urge to hit her head against the table just as Sakura had done not so long ago.

_How stupid can I get! _She put a hand through her hair as she looked over at Sasuke meeting his eyes for a brief second before looking back down at her test. Against her better judgment she put a hand under the desk and made a single hand sign.

"_Sasuke…_" The boy besides her stiffened. "_Don't move! Pretend to be thinking._" The boy leaned forward and bit his thumb wagging the pencil between his fingers.

"_What are you doing Sayuri?_" His voice echoed through her head as she drew a circle on her test.

"_Oh nothing…you know…I just wanted to make your life a living hell that's all._" She smiled as she added two dots to the circle.

"_Listen Mariha-_"

"_Sasuke you haven't answered a single one of the questions…I'm trying to help you out here. Listen do you see all the proctors?_"

"_Of course I do! I'm not blind!_" he snapped making her twitch in an effort to not hit him upside the head.

"_Do you have another tone that doesn't sound like 'arrogant dumb ass'?_" She snapped back. "_Think Uchiha! If this is an intelligence test why would there be so many proctors breathing down our necks?_"

Black eyes searched the room before he froze "_No way! He…_" Sayuri nodded her head.

"_He __**wants **__us to cheat! He __**told**__ us in an indirect manner that the purpose was to cheat so well that the proctors wouldn't even notice._"

"_When did you figure it out?_" Sayuri smiled at his question and drew a curve on the circle turning it into a smiling face.

"_After I answered the 6__th__ question…_"

Sasuke's eyes wondered over to Naruto who was currently hunched over his paper in a panic. "_I'm sure he'll get it soon enough Sasuke._" His gaze shifted to her noticing the small smile on her lips as she bent over the paper. "_You see that guy sitting directly in front of me?_"

The teen shifted in response.

"_Use the Sharingan and copy his every move. The guy has been writing none stop._"

"_Wait-_" His mind suddenly felt empty; her presence gone. Shifting his eyes to peek at her, he saw her resting her head on her hands, eyes closed in concentration. His attention back on the guy she had pointed out for him he closed his eyes and opened them once again mimicking his moves in an instant.

"_Got it!_" Hajime smirked "_I can't believe you answered 6 by yourself! This jutsu is fantastic by the way._" He complimented.

"_Where'd you learn it?_" Diachi asked as he finished writing down answer number 9.

"_I was raised by ANBU. It's amazing how many jutsu you're privy to._" Sayuri smirked as she heard the thoughts of several ninja echoing in her head. Saito had thought her the jutsu when she had turned 9 allowing her to hear the thoughts of anyone within a 2 mile radius without them noticing. Teaching her the jutsu may have been the greatest mistake of his life seeing as she constantly invaded his privacy without him knowing. _Not like he didn't do it either._ Sayuri shuddered the thought of him reading her every thought and emotion.

"All right!" Ibiki's voice echoed through the quiet room catching every ones attention "Get ready for the 10th question!"

Sasuke smirked and glanced over at Sayuri who twirled the pencil in her hand. Sakura looked confidently at the proctor while Naruto tried to hide his nervousness.

"And before we get to the question its self I'm adding a new rule." Just then the door opened as the sand ninja stepped in, getting a look from Ibiki. "Looks like you're in luck. The time you've spent playing with dolls hasn't gone completely to waste." Alarmed Kankuro froze for a second before he hurried to his seat.

"Let me explain. This rule is absolute."

XXX

"With our Genin in the exams we've got time on our hands." Kakashi said as he leaned forward. "It's not like we can go on training missions without them." He mumbled at the end.

"Don't worry. We'll be busy again before you know it." Asuma said as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

This caught the silver haired ninja's attention. "Why?"

"You mean you didn't hear?" Kenji asked bewildered as he brought Kurenai a mug of tea.

"Hear what?" she asked before taking a sip.

Green and dark brown eyes met before the two turned back to their friends. "I was informed by the Hokage that this year's first exam coordinator is Ibiki Morino." Kenji answered as he sat next to Kakashi.

"Really? That sadist? Why did it have to be Ibiki?"

Alarmed Kurenai sat up. "Sadist? What do you mean?"

"Kurenai, you're still new to the jounin so you'd have no way of knowing." Asuma said with a smirk.

"Knowing what?" The female of the four asked getting anxious.

"He's a pro. A pro's pro…" Kenji mumbled leaning back.

"A pro…? At what?"

"Torture and interrogation."

Kurenai looked lost, Kakashi sighed, and Kenji just smiled.

XXX

"First you must choose whether to accept or reject the question."

_Accept or reject the…? _Sasuke wondered as he leaned forward.

"Ch-chose? What happens if we decide not to take it?" The blonde sand ninja asked frustrated beyond belief.

"If you reject the question without even trying. You will lose all 10 points and fail…both of your teammates right along with you."

"Then why would anyone choose to reject the question?" A boy sitting in the front row demanded.

"Because of the other rule…" Ibiki stated. "If you try to answer the question and you get it wrong…You will never be permitted to apply for the Chunin exams again! Not ever!"

"**WHAT?**" Sayuri cried out snapping her pencil in two. "I know for a fact that there are ninja in this room who've gone through this test more than once!" The brunette stood up slamming her hands on the table. "There's no way you can't let us apply for the test just because of _this_!"

_Yikes! Somebody's mad…_ Hajime smirked.

Hearing her outburst, Ibiki began to laugh making Sayuri growl.

_This guy managed to piss Sayuri off so fast! _Naruto looked back and forth from the tall brooding man then to the small 10 year old girl. _This is sooo not good!_

"What's so funny?" she bit out glaring at the protector from her spot.

"Your luck, that's what." Sayuri looked at him startled. "In the past years I wasn't the one making the rules. But I am now." He chuckle one last time before looking straight at Sayuri. "I've been upfront with you. You can take a failing grade now, and try again later." He turned to the rest of the room. "Anyone who has any doubt would be smart to reject the tenth question right now and try again next year, and the year after that."

Sayuri slumped down at a loss for words. _There's just no arguing with him! _ Unusual brown colored eyes took to glaring at the proctor. _He's got everything planned out!_

"Ready? Let's begin." All gulped in anticipation for what was next. "Those who choose not to accept should raise their hands now. Once their number has been confirmed you along with your team may leave the room."

Sayuri shifted in her seat. _If I fail I stay a Genin…if I quit I'll take those two with me…_ She bit her lip considering the odds. _Then again I have the _Open Mind Jutsu_ I could always cheat my way through the tenth question... _The young girl looked at the orange clad ninja. _And Naruto…what will he do? I'm not even sure if he was even able to answer any of the questions._ Sayuri frowned at her train of thought. _**Why**__ do I even _care_ he's not in my team! And neither are Sasuke or Sakura! I've got to quit worrying about them and start thinking about me! _She frowned and locked her eyes on the man before her.

The boy sitting next to Naruto was the first to go. One by one more and more teams left the testing room and went their separate ways. Sayuri tugged at her sleeve as she waited, watching the proctors mark off students as they left. Suddenly one hand caught her attention.

Her former blonde team mate had raised his hand. She gasped surprised at the action.

_I knew the kid would—_Hajime didn't fish his thought as the orange clad ninja slammed his hand on the table.

"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE ME! I DON'T QUIT AND I DON'T RUN!" The room was full of shocked faces. "I'll accept your stupid question. Even if I wind up staring a rookie for the rest of my life! I'll be the next Hokage. Even if I only make it by pure stubbornness I don't care! I'm not scared of you!"

Sayuri blinked, gaping at his back before her eyebrow twitched. _That cocky idiot's probably scared half to death but…_She smiled at him as Sasuke let out a small sigh of relief. _Stupid, Naruto… _

"I'll ask you one last time. This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now while you still have the chance."

Naruto smirked. "I don't go back on my word. That's my ninja way."

The room fell quiet as the Genin looked determined to stay. _78 of them are still here. Hmm…an entertaining kid. Interesting…he dispelled everyone else's thought along with his own. More than I expected but…_ He looked at the proctors who nodded once to give the 'okay.'

"Good call." Everyone leaned forward. "So everyone who's still here… You've just passed the first exam!"

"**WHAT?**" Sayuri couldn't help but cry out. When everyone's eyes fell on her she turned beet red before quickly schooling her features back to normal. "What about the 10th question?"

"There is no 10th question beyond the whole 'accept or reject' thing."

"WHAT? Then why did we have to suffer through the other 9 questions? That was a total waste of our time!" Sayuri turned recognizing the blonde from the sand village.

"There was no waste. Those questions had a purpose which, they already served."

"Like what…?" Sayuri spoke out again.

"Our goal was to test your skills…at spying!" Ibiki grinned at the brunette.

The blonde looked confused. "At spying?"

"Remember the rules at the beginning? You pass or fail as part of a 3 man team. With that rule I pressured you with the fear that anything you did wrong would bring your teammates down with you."

"I kinda figured that was it." Naruto huffed making both Sayuri and Sasuke sweat drop.

"However the questions are beyond the level that Genin are expected to answer so most of you having reached that same conclusion had only one way of retaining your points…by cheating." He stepped forward. "And to ensure there would be suitable targets for you to cheat from we snuck in a pair of ringers. Two Chunin who already knew the answers."

_WHAT? AWW MAN! _Naruto had a mental break down before bursting out laughing after finding out that other ninja had figured it out before him. "Hahahaha! Yeah any idiot could figure that one out!"

"That fool had no idea." Sasuke mumbled.

"Want to be on how many he answered?" Sayuri whispered besides him.

"Not much of a bet considering…" both stared at Naruto and then glanced back at each other.

"None." Both agreed as they turned around only to see their proctor without his headband.

Sayuri gasped, brown eyes widening slightly at the sight. The Uchiha besides her narrowed his eyes.

_Burns, scars, puncture wounds from where screws were used…long slash marks… _Besides him Sayuri gulped thinking the same as him. _He's been tortured!_

"The information you obtain can't be trusted. If you can't keep your presence secret from the enemy. Learn that and learn it well if you bring back information from a suspect source or a compromised operation…you're doing your enemy's work for them putting those you serve in danger." Putting his headband back on, he continued. "That is why we maneuvered you into using your espionage skills to cheat. That way we weed out anyone whose skills aren't up to snuff."

"Okay so what about the 10th question?" The blonde asked again.

"Ah the 10th question. That was the first real test to this part of the exam."

Everyone blinked at the proctor. "What do you mean?" Sakura was the first to recover.

"Let me explain. The 10th question was choice between two options…both very difficult and presenting themselves as a no-win situation. So why did I present those two options?" He looked at the room to make sure he had their attention. "Let's suppose you all go on and pass the Chunin exam. You are assigned to steal a vital enemy document, knowing nothing about your enemy's skills, deployment, or military preparedness. You may have to cross territory that's heavily mined and littered with traps. Now…" everyone looked at him. "Do you accept the mission or do you reject it? Rather than place your own life or lives of your companions in jeopardy, could a Chunin get away with only doing the safe jobs?" He narrowed his eyes "Of course not! No matter how high the risk there will be missions that you won't be able to decline. A ninja must inspire valor that inspires those around him…helping all to overcome their fear. That is the most valuable skill of a Chunin commander in a squad."

Naruto looked proud of himself, Sakura sighed, Sasuke smirked, and Sayuri leaned forward smiling.

"Those who can't do that are weaklings who can only make weak and easy decisions and don't belong as Chunin at all. You've all answered the 9 questions and stuck through the test up until the very end. You've passed the first part of the Chunin selection exam. I'll pray that you put up a good fight."

"**YEAH YOU DO THAT! GO PRAY!**" Naruto yelled out feeling the inspiration.

"That idiot…" Sayuri giggled shaking her head.

Suddenly a black ball crashed through the window. By the time all the ruckus went down a young woman stood before them.

"None of you are in any position to celebrate. I am the second proctor of the Chunin exams…Anko Mitarashi! Times a-wasting people! Let's go!"

The room was eerily quiet. Sayuri relaxed and took a good look at the proctor. _Damn psycho lady!_ She thought as she watched the two proctors talk to each other.

"This year we have participants of exceptional caliber." Ibiki explained at her complaint.

"Yeah right. I'll cut the number in half by the time the next test is done."

_She what…?_ Sayuri thought alarmed.

"I get charged up just thinking about it! I'll explain everything as soon as we settle in our new location. Come on! Follow me!"

XXX

They found themselves outside the gate of a large forest in a secluded area. Hajime looked pale as a sheet, Diachi looked indifferent and Sayuri just stared in wonder.

"Welcome to the Forest of Death!

**Ok this chapter took a lot longer than expected. Sorry about that. Please Review! Thank you.**


	14. The Forest of Death!

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

The Forest of Death!

"Wow…" Hajime mumbled after a couple of seconds. "It looks…"

"Creepy." Sayuri finished for him as they stared past their proctor and to the darkened area.

"You're about to find out first hand why they call this _The Forest of Death_" Anko said rather darkly at the Genin.

"Oooo 'You're about to find out first hand why the call this, _The Forest of Death_'" Naruto imitated her while shaking his butt. "Like that's really going to scare us. You're trying to psych us out and I'm not going to fall for it!"

"Stupid little brat isn't he…?" Diachi whispered behind Sayuri.

"You've no idea."

"Oh, really? You're pretty cocky huh?" Anko smiled at the blonde before whipping out a kunai and throwing it past Naruto scratching his cheek. Not even a second later she was standing behind him licking the blood. "You're kind is always the first to go. Spilling all that rich luscious blood." She mumbled. Suddenly sensing something she whipped out another kunai only to stop as a Genin handed the one she had previously thrown back to her.

_Is that her tongue?_ Sayuri wondered with a gulp.

"Looks like we've got a hot blooded team on our hands this time around." She announced. While Naruto rubbed his cheek.

_We're hot blooded and she's blood thirsty!_ Naruto stated as he glared at the proctor.

"Before we begin the second part of the exam there's something I have to hand out." She took out several sheets of paper and held them up. "They're consent forms. Everyone has to sign one."

"Why?" Naruto asked as he moved to stand next to Sasuke. "We want all the details covered before the first deaths occur. Sign before you go in so that we can't be held liable. You wouldn't want me to get in trouble now, would you?" Anko laughed.

_Just exactly how difficult is this test?_ Diachi wondered as he looked from the consent forms to the young brunette. _From what I'm getting this thing is kill or die! Not good._ He thought as he half listened to the proctor explained the rules of the test and how she talked about the scrolls in her hands.

Green eyes watched as the brunette took a sheet of paper and pass the rest around. Looking to his right Hajime met Diachi's light brown eyes and nodded. _We need to stay on our toes. _

"Let's talk about what offenses you can be disqualified for." She held out one finger. "Obviously the teams that fail to reach the tower with in the 5 day limit as a three member cell with both the heaven and earth scrolls are out." A second finger came up. "So is a team that loses a member whether to death or serious injury." The final finger came up making three. "And under no circumstances are you allowed to leave the forest before the time is up. No recess. No time outs. Also you're forbidden to look at the scrolls."

"What happens if we do?" Naruto asked.

"That's for those who look to find out." She smiled. "We'll trade one scroll for every three forms. When you've got your choose which gate you want to start from. Everyone will start at the same time. And one more piece of advice…" The proctor waited until everyone went quiet. "Stay alive."

XXX

_Well this is nice. Being stuck in some creepy forest for five days…trying to get a scroll. _Sayuri sighed. As she watched team after team enter the tent and come back out. _We won't know who has which scroll so that's going to cause a problem…We could be fighting the wrong team and be wasting our energy for all they care._ Unique brown eyes looked over the signed consent form. _This is going to turn into a real blood fest._

"Having second thoughts?" Sayuri looked up and smirked.

"Course not Hyuga." White eyes narrowed slightly before he nodded. "Try not to let your guard down like always, Lady Sayuri."

She fixed him with a glare. "Don't worry about it. If I were you I'd be worrying about getting to the tower on time." She stood up and dusted herself off. "Take care Neji." She murmured placing a hand on his shoulder before walking away.

Black eyes narrowed at Sayuri's back as she walked inside the tent with her team. "Hey Sasuke!" Naruto called out. "Let's go!"

XXX

Standing by gate 4 Diachi and Hajime took in their surroundings. They're priority: the girl standing between the two.

The clock struck 3:30 "Part two of the Chunin Selection Exams begins NOW!" The gates were opened and all the ninja rushed in.

XXX

"Well, well, well…" Diachi turned towards where the scream had come from. "…Seems like someone just got caught."

Hajime looked at Diachi with an amused expression hands crossed over his chest as he stood on a tree branch above his team mate. Sayuri looked on, a worried expression visible on her usually calm face.

"Relax," Hajime turned to Sayuri knowingly. "They'll be fine."

Sayuri took in a breath before giving him a curt nod. "You're right." _They'll be fine…_

"It's better if we each look for chakra signs in different directions. That way we won't wonder around this place looking for ninja to challenge." Diachi said looking at the two above him.

"So what do we do? Split up?" Hajime appeared next to Diachi in a blink of an eye.

"No, if we split up then we run the risk of one of us coming into harm's way." Sayuri said walking toward the two.

"Hmm…" Diachi rubbed his chin deep in thought, then turned his light brown eyes on his team mates. "We're all sensitive to chakra activity…well most of us anyway." He looked at Sayuri who blushed in embarrassment. He pointed out from the information he gathered during their meeting before the exam.

"Yeah so?" his team mates asked simultaneously.

"So…we all just look for signs of chakra throughout the forest. That way we won't have to go around wasting our chakra looking for other genin to battle."

Sayuri and Hajime looked at each other then at Diachi. Both had smug smiles on their faces and nodded.

"Sayuri get on that branch over there," Diachi pointed to a tree on to her right. "Takeo you go over there," he pointed to the tree behind his silver haired friend. "And I'll stay here. The minute you get to your spot start searching for chakra."

"Right!"

_Okay let's see … _Sayuri made a single hand sign, closing her eyes for concentration. "Ouch!" she rubbed her cheek releasing the sign.

"What was that?" Hajime asked wiping the blood of his nose.

Diachi turned, but before he could answer a large gust of wind blew their way causing several trees to collapse.

XXX

Sakura gasped looking around her hands clenched to her chest. "What was that?" she asked worry evident in her voice.

"Nothing to worry about." Sasuke answered ignoring what he'd just heard.

Suddenly the bush to his right began to shake; Sakura and Naruto looked at the bush horrified, just as someone was beginning to step out of the bush Sasuke tackled the ninja.

"OW! Sasuke get the heck of me!"

"?" Sasuke looked at Sayuri whose arms he had pinned over her head. Slowly he began to get up but stopped abruptly. "Wait a minute. You're not on our team."

"HUH? Are you _kidding_ me?" She shouted trying to get herself loose. "GET OF ME UCHIHA!" she yelled glaring daggers at the boy.

"Sasuke, I think you should let her go." Sakura said reassuringly.

"Sure, I let her go then suddenly the rest of her team shows up and our scroll is gone."

"You're just paranoid." Naruto said crossing his arms.

Sayuri rolled her eyes and taking in their scroll. "Believe me I don't want your stupid scroll. I have a Heaven scroll, just like you."

"Really," Sasuke eyed Sayuri. "Prove it."

"It's in my left pouch." She sighed extremely annoyed.

"Naruto…"

The blonde walked over to Sayuri mumbled an apology, took her pouch and pulled out a Heaven scroll.

"There, now would you let me go!" she said pushing him roughly aside.

"Sayuri where are your team mates?" Sakura asked.

"That's what I'd like to know." She sat up snatching her pouch and the scroll from Naruto's hands. "We were standing just three feet away from each other when a huge gust of wind passes by, and the next thing I know I'm being pinned down the Uchiha!" She answered a scowl on her childlike face. "Either way…" she stood up and dusted herself off "I should go and-"

"Ow!" Naruto's left cheek began to bleed "What the…?"

Sayuri narrowed her eyes about to say something when a gust of wind came their way.

The cloud of dust began to clear away slowly; Sasuke and Sayuri were hidden under a bush.

"U-U…Uchiha…as much as I enjoy the…um…closeness we tend to be experiencing now…uh…do you mind getting off of me?" Sayuri asked from underneath him, her voice muffled due to the fact that his shoulder covered her mouth.

He nodded and was about to move aside until both ninja sense a chakra other than their own. Sayuri still under him tilts her head back and to the side to get a better look, while Sasuke extracts a kunai from his shuriken holster.

The two suddenly come up catching Sakura off guard.

"Sasuke! Sayuri!" the pink haired konoichi rushed towards them until she saw Sasuke push Sayuri back, a kunai in hand.

"Stop. What's the ninki, the password?"

_Password…? _Sayuri looked from Sakura to Sasuke.

"Oh! Right! 'We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate.'"

"All right." Sasuke relaxing puts down his kunai.

"_That's _your password?" Sayuri stepped to the side. "That thing is the longest password I've _ever_ heard! You got it off a book didn't you?" She teased, as she strolled over to Sakura.

"Yo!…Are you guys okay?" Naruto seemingly came out of nowhere catching the three off guard.

"Not so fast, Naruto! The password?" Sasuke asked standing between the two girls and the blonde.

"Right. 'We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate.'"

Sakura sighed in relief while Sayuri reached for a kunai in her pouch. Sasuke smirked before throwing his own kunai at him only to watch him dodge it easily.

"HEYYY!"

"What are you doing Sasuke? He got the password right!" Sakura exclaimed.

"And this time he was good enough to dodge my attack!"

"Huh?" Sakura wondered confused as Sayuri pushed her back holding a kunai and pointing it at Naruto.

"Think Sakura, Naruto's not smart enough to remember _that _password." She turned to give Sasuke a smile. "Now I get why you chose it."

The Uchiha gave her a grunt in response as both stared at the imposter as he put down the jutsu.

"I see so your friend isn't all that bright now…huh." Sakura took a slight step back as she narrowed her eyes at the grass ninja.

_This one gives me the creeps! Where is that fool Naruto, anyway? _The pink haired konoichi wondered.

"I suppose you want to take my earth scroll, wouldn't you…? Since you've already got a heaven scroll!" Sayuri tightened her hold on the kunai as she watched the ninja move. The three watched in disgust as the grass nin swallowed the scroll whole and licked his lips. "Now…shall we see just who will be stealing scrolls from whom?" Bringing his hand to his face the ninja looked directly at them. "We'll fight to the death!"

In an instant the three felt like they were hit from all sides until the attack ended with a kunai being embedded in their heads. The three fell to their knees as they trembled from the assault.

_He's casting an illusion! _Sasuke realized before feeling his stomach churn as he proceeded to throw up. _It's not death…just an incredible simulation! I looked into his eyes and he made me feel it…and believe it! _Dark eyes focused on the grass ninja before him. _Wh-who the heck is he….?_

Besides him Sakura began to snap out of it just as tears rolled down her eyes. She blinked once before her attention was back to the present. "Sas….Sasuke…?" her voice quivered as she watched the Uchiha, too afraid to look back at the enemy. Green eyes shifted to the girl directly in front of her as she swayed and suddenly fell to the ground. "Sayuri!" Sakura called out.

Alarmed Sasuke turned his attention to Sayuri whose eyes were slowly closing. _Sayuri! Crap! If we don't leave now we're done for! The only other option is death! _

The grass ninja chuckled darkly. "I imagine you're paralyzed now…"

_Not quite…I can still…MOVE! _Just as the grass ninja threw two kunai at their direction Sasuke leaped taking Sakura and Sayuri with him.

"Ah! Sasuke! Speak to me, Sas-" Sakura was cut short as the boy held a hand to her mouth.

_We've got to move fast, or he'll find us again! The question is how to evade him…how do we run…? _His grip on the brunette in his arms tightened slightly.

_Sasuke's so jumpy…I've never seen him like this…_Sakura thought just as she looked up before she tried to speak again tugging at his hand. "**SASUKE! SNAKE!**" The rosette girl cried out before the two jumped out of the way at the last second.

Holding Sayuri by the waist he landed on a branch in complete shock. _My chakra's so out of whack that I over looked a giant snake! _Just as he landed though the snake crept up again opening its mouth. In a panic Sasuke let go of Sayuri and threw a series of shuriken at it.

As small gasp drew the Uchiha's attention to his right. He watched as the young girl sat up and rubbed her head.

"Ouch!" different brown colored eyes shifted to Sasuke then the snake that currently lay dead in front of them. "What's that?" she cried out pointing as the small whole that was slowly forming on the large creature.

"For shame letting your guard down! Stay on your toes, like a good prey should! IT makes the chase so much more rewarding…" Slowly the grass ninja got up, covered in slime. "For the predator!" He quickly slithered up the branch like a snake as Sasuke and Sayuri stood frozen in horror. Suddenly a handful of kunai and shuriken blocked the grass ninja's way.

"Sorry, Sasuke…" Both the Uchiha and Marihasha looked up to see the orange clad ninja. "I can't remember that stupid password!"

**I blame college for my tardiness…sorry it took so long. Please Review! I like reading what you guys have to say. =D **


	15. Helpeless

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

Helpless

"Naruto…" Sayuri sighed and visibly relaxed while Sasuke tensed even more looking between the blonde and the grass ninja.

"Naruto run! This guy is way out of our league!" Sasuke yelled at the young blonde who gave him a baffled look. Sayuri turned to the Uchiha surprised.

_Since when did Sasuke become a…_ Sayuri trailed off when the grass ninja spoke out.

"Congratulations on your defeat of the giant snake…Naruto." The blonde crossed his arms and glared.

_This guy's a freak! I bet that giant snake was his! _Blue eyes took in the ninja.

Red eyes shifted from the blonde to the brunette beside him. _Every time I try to save us, he screws things up! But there must be some way to…_

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Naruto yelled out catching the grass ninja's attention once again.

_I've got to stop this before he gets us all killed… _Sasuke thought as he shifted his stance.

Slowly Sayuri stood up, her brow furrowed in confusion. _Why did he deactivate his Sharingan? _ The brunette watched as Sasuke pulled out a heaven scroll.

"If it's our scroll you want come and get it…Just take it and go!"

"Wha-" Sayuri whispered completely lost. "What are you doing Sasuke?" She got only a small glare in response.

"Is this some clever way to defeat the enemy? By giving away everything we've got?" Naruto asked completely outraged.

"Well done…you're obviously natural born prey." Sayuri shifted into a defensive stance when she saw the ninja move. "…Instinctively knowing that your only hope lies in the chance of the predator being distracted by some tastier bait."

"Here…" Sasuke tossed the scroll only to have Naruto snatch it away before it reached its destination. "STAY OUT OF THIS! YOU'LL RUIN EVERYTHING!" Sasuke yelled at the blonde that landed in front of him.

With a gasp Sayuri leap out of the way just as Naruto turned to punch Sasuke. Brown eyes looked down at the two in confusion and frustration as they bickered with one another.

"I forgot the stupid password so I can't prove it. But this so called Sasuke is obviously a fake!"

"What…?" Both Sakura and Sayuri asked in disbelief.

"Naruto…you idiot! I am me!"

"That's a lie!" Blue eyes glared at the Uchiha. "You're an idiot, idiot! You're a coward. Which Sasuke isn't. So you're not him!" Sasuke looked taken aback by this as he only stared at the blonde dumbfounded. "I'm not so sure we need to be afraid of this guy…And even if we did hand over the scroll there's no guarantee that he'd spare us! So even if you were Sasuke, I'd still be telling you that you're an idiot and a chicken too!"

"Oh, Naruto this is rich!" The four Genin turned to the grass ninja who liked his face. "And you're right. Why bargain when I can just kill you…and take the scroll!" He pulled up his sleeve revealing a pattern on his arm before biting his thumb and running it through the pattern on his arm.

_That looks…familiar…_ Brown eyes watched as the blonde charged at the man before widening in horror. _It's a summoning! _ Sayuri jumped down heading towards the blonde.

"Summoning Jutsu!" A snake appeared out of thin air making Naruto freeze on the spot.

"**Naruto!**" Sakura and Sasuke cried out as the snake smacked the blonde with its tail. Just before he hit the branch Sayuri snatched him out of the way and landed with a grunt on to the snakes left.

Slowly the snake turned around shooting its tail at the two. In an instant Naruto's once blue eyes turned bright red. Alarmed Sayuri pulled away from him and watched as the orange clad ninja jumped into the air and punched the snakes face.

"Naruto's…completely snapped…Where did he get that power?" Sakura wondered out loud.

"Is that really Naruto?" Sasuke wondered as he watched the blonde hit his head after the grass ninja blew smoke at him.

_His eyes…they…_Sayuri shivered being only able to watch.

"And it's Sasuke's turn next! How will he take it?" The grass ninja and his snake rushed towards the Uchiha who was frozen in his spot.

"**Sasuke!**" Sakura and Sayuri yelled out trying to get his attention but to no avail. Just as the snake was about to hit him something stood in the snake's way.

"Hey…are you ok...? You big chicken!"

_Naruto… _Sayuri stood up a worried expression on her face as she looked on to the two ninja.

XXX

One large tree fell down smashing everything in its path, its roots forming a dome shielding its users from the ninja that tried to smash through.

"Can you sense her?" Green eyes flickered left and right but closed after a couple of seconds.

"Sorry Diachi but she's not in this direction." Suddenly the dome cracked at Diachi's left. Releasing the jutsu he and Hajime jumped out of the way landing a few feet away from their attackers.

"We suggest you stop running and fight." The bald grass ninja said with a smirk.

Both Konoha Genin took a defensive stance. "Look you two. We're missing a teammate and you're missing a teammate. If we don't find them both of our teams will be disqualified. How about we each go our separate ways and find them so that when we see each other again we can really have a go at it." Hajime reasoned.

"Ha. We already know where our team mate is…There's no need for us to worry. Now…" the ninja with the straw hat took out his katana "I suggest you start fighting, otherwise killing you two would not be as fun as we'd like it to be."

Diachi growled and took out his kunai. Hajime took a defensive stance as he took out his own katana.

XXX

Naruto's body was suddenly jerked up by the ninja's tongue as the blonde flailed wildly trying to get free.

He laughed as he made a couple of hand signs. "The brat of the nine tails is still alive and kicking. How fascinating that, when he is consumed with rage he loses himself and a bit of the nine tailed foxed trapped within comes through. An amazing development!"

Sayuri watched in horror as the grass ninja lifted up Naruto's jacket and shoved his hand into the screaming blonde's abdomen. The blonde's screams died down as he slumped unconscious while his enemy moved to pull out the scroll from his pouch, flinging him aside once he got what he searched for.

Sakura quickly threw a kunai at Naruto catching him by the jacket so that he wouldn't fall. "Sasuke!" the rosette cried out watching the Uchiha tremble. "Naruto may be nothing like you. He's clumsy and he holds us back…And sometimes he's a big nuisance, but at least he's got guts…Naruto's not a coward!"

Different brown colored eyes flickered from Sakura to the Naruto then to Sasuke and back. Biting her lip she looked at the injured blonde dangling from a tree. "…Sasuke..." The boy in question only stood, too dumbstruck to move. "…You're pathetic." Sayuri glared down at the Uchiha who turned to look at the girl in shock.

"Water style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Sayuri held a hand sign above her head slowly water began to pull around her taking the form of a dragon promptly before attacking the grass ninja and his snake. Alarmed the grass ninja jumped out of the way while his snake slithered away barely dodging the dragon as it smashed into the tree.

_That girl…preformed a water jutsu without any body of water around! Only the 2__nd__ Hokage and the Mizuchi clan are able to do that. _He glared at the young girl who rushed at him.

She threw a handful of shuriken at him but they were stopped by the snake that slammed its tail at her. Using the tail as leverage she back flipped and landed on the branch across from them. The snake hissed and rushed at her just as Sayuri finished weaving three hand signs.

"Earth style: Earth blockade" the ground below shot up in the form of pillars forming a barrier between the snake and herself.

"That was cute." She heard the man laugh just before he smashed through the wall in seconds.

"**SAYURI!**" Both Sasuke and Sakura cried out as the young ninja was slammed into a tree with a small grunt. She slid down only to be caught by the collar by the snake's tongue.

The grass ninja's attention was drawn to the patter on her sleeve. _Marihasha…_ He gave the brunette a smirk as he cupped her cheek. "Well, well, well…So you're Nagisa and Yūkan's daughter…" Brown eyes glared at the ninja who took out a kunai. "Say hello to them for me." He said with a menacing smile as he pulled back his kunai aiming it at her abdomen.

"**SAYURI!**"

The grass ninja laughed as he watched the young girls eyes widen. "Such a cute little thing…what a shame. Your parents should have thought you better before they passed."

Two hands gripped his arm making him laugh louder. "Holding on to me won't-"

"Lightning Style: Complete…Body Current…" the young girl whispered head bowed and suddenly her entire body was enveloped by strips of electricity shocking her attacker, who quickly threw her aside to tend to his injured arm.

"You pesky little brat! Time to die!" he yelled before rushing at the girl.

_No! _ Sasuke glared at the ninja, his Sharingan activated. He rushed at the man aiming a kick at him effectively stopping the ninja just before he reached the brunette. Landing in front of the injured girl he took out kunai and shuriken before jumping into the air.

_I've been living with the hope of one day killing my brother. I thought it was the most important thing…But maybe I'm the one who's been the idiot._ Sasuke began his attack throwing kunai at the grass ninja who evaded each one of them. _Because someone who can't even stand up and do what has to be done at a time like this…Wouldn't stand a chance against _him_! _Gripping the tree next to him he swung around throwing his shuriken at the ninja.

Seeing Sasuke's weapon at the last minute the grass ninja jumped only to have Sasuke throw one final kunai at him.

_Not bad! The way he anticipated my every move…the accuracy of his targeting…he sees me! _He thought as he tilted his head just in time to avoid being struck by the kunai. He watched as Sasuke tugged at wire with his teeth as he still gripped at the tree trunk.

"A Sharingan windmill a three pronged attack!" the grass ninja turned just in time to catch the piece of metal with his teeth. "Heh…such a shame…"

"Hah!" Sasuke smirked at the man holding a single hand sign just as he blew a trail of fire across the wire burning his face.

"Sayuri he…" Sakura began from besides Sayuri who weakly blinked and smiled down at Sasuke.

_He did it! _She thought happily.

"That one so young has mastery of the Sharingan…Truly a worthy heir to the honored Uchiha clan!" Sasuke, Sakura, and Sayuri looked on in shock as the ninja lifted his head as his "face" peeled off. "In fact I believe I want you, after all…!"

"Sakura…" the rosette girl turned to Sayuri who nodded her head towards the Uchiha. Understanding she nodded and jumped down to stand next to him.

"It's been marvelous fun having you show me all your tricks" he looked at the two.

_We're paralyzed! _Sakura thought shocked.

"You really are his brother aren't you…You can see and conceal things with those eyes of yours that Itachi never dreamed of!"

Sayuri's eyes widened at the statement while Sasuke glared at him. "Just who the heck are you?"

"My name's Orochimaru…If you ever want a rematch then pass this exam as quickly as you can." Orochimaru said as he burned their heaven scroll. "I'll see you again if you manage to defeat the three sound ninja that answer to me."

Sakura glared. "What are you blabbering on about? We never want to see your face again!"

"Perhaps not…but wishing won't chase me away." He smiled making a hand sing just before his neck extended like a snake and he bit Sasuke's neck.

"Sasuke!" Orochimaru looked up at Sayuri just as he pulled back.

"I look forward to seeing you again Sasuke…In the quest for power." His eyes shifted back to Sayuri who lay on the tree staring at the man in shock. "My dear Lady Sayuri, don't look so upset! Especially since I'll soon reunite you with your parents!" He stared right into her eyes making hold her breath for a couple of seconds.

Her eyes widened just as Sasuke fell to his knees. "Sasuke?" Sakura knelt down beside him.

"Wha…What did you do…to him?" her voice was dry as she fought to stay conscious.

"Just a little something to remember me by…" And with that Orochimaru disappeared and Sasuke's screams became a distant echo as Sayuri's eyes flutter closed.

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review! =D**


	16. What Occured and What's to Come

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you. **

What Occurred and What's to Come

"_**I'll ask again…where is she?" Sayuri clamped her hands over her mouth trying to quiet down her sobs. "Nagisa…" **_

**Come…**Come**! Someone please come!**_** Sayuri silently pleaded as she struggled to keep quiet. **_

_**Another cry came from her mother. "You're too stubborn for your own good!" The man said harshly a few seconds later there was a light thump on the door side of closet. **_

"_**I'm not going to tell you anything so either kill me now or leave." Her mother's voice was firm…it didn't quiver…it didn't break. Her mother was strong, kind, and brave. **_

"_**Alright then…but remember you asked for it-"**_

"_**STOP!" Sayuri cried out rushing out of the closet and over to her mother's side. "Please don't kill her!" **_

"_**Well if it isn't little Lady Sayuri." The man said with a smile in his voice.**_

_**Sayuri turned to look up at him, to try to put a face to her mother's tormentor, but she found that it was impossible. The night covered him showing only his frame and the glinting katana as he raised it in the air and swung it down.**_

_**Sayuri watched the katana strike her mother who stood protectively in front of her. She watched as her mother fell to the ground and how her silver hair turned bright red from her blood. The small girl reached to touch her mother's face as the woman slowly blinked up at the child a small smile on her lips. **_

"_**Sa-Sayuri…" her mother called out too weak to move from the loss of blood. She turned to her mother only to watch her piercing blue eyes flutter shut. **_

"_**Mother!" the girl cried as she tried to shake her mother awake. **_

"_**What a pity. To think that she would have lived had she only given you up." The man caught her attention once again. Sayuri looked up at him in recognition.**_ _**"Poor Lady Sayuri…you should have come with me when I told you to." Sayuri trembled as she looked up at who she thought was her friend. Tobi pointed his Katana at the girl's forehead. "I only wanted you to come with me. I could have taught you to be a great ninja."**_

_**Suddenly Tobi was shoved aside. She turned to the other figure recognizing him as one of the ANBU that had escorted her and her mother to the temple. "Lady Sayuri…" He lifted his arm to give her his hand. The child looked down at her mother one last time before taking it.**_

_**In a blink of an eye she was pulled up against the ninja's chest as he dashed out of the window avoiding the kunai and Shuriken that Tobi sent after him, before losing the man as he disappeared into the forest with the child in his arms. **_

_**He rushed into the forest and continued up until he tired and leaned against a tree. Looking down at the child in his arms the ninja pulled her close against him and rubbed her back reassuringly. **_

"_**It's ok. I've got you." He whispered. "He won't hurt you now…you're safe." **_

_**It wasn't until then that Sayuri realized that she had been crying. So she wrapped her arms around her ninja's neck and continued to cry as he rubbed her back and continued to reassure her, cry as he ran through the forest in one general direction, cry as he walked through the gates she had seen only two days ago, cry as he climbed the stairs to the small hill that led to her home, cry as he gave her away to a man whose piercing red eyes she knew all too well. **_

_**During the funeral she stood beside's her father who squeezed her hand gently as the two walked up to the picture of her mother to place a lily before it. She watched as the other shinobi carried her mother's casket away to the cemetery where they would lay her to rest. She nodded to those who offered their condolences as they left her home. She did everything except cry, because by then all her tears were gone. **_

_**XXX**_

"_**Yūkan…" A pair of piercing red eyes glanced up at the doorway where the figure of a young woman stood, and back down at the pile of papers on the desk. "Big brother please…you have to get out of your office." The man in question signed a few more sheets of papers and put them in the pile to his left. "Yūkan your daughter needs you!" The young woman slammed her hand on the desk catching the man's attention. **_

"_**Sayuri is fine she's not injured or sick." His collar was promptly yanked as the woman pulled him to her eye level his red clashing with her yellow. **_

"_**No, she's not sick or hurt, but she is mourning just like you are except that she needs her father but the idiot is busying himself with work because he's too much of an ass to understand that his only child needs him to comfort her!" She shoved him back to his seat and turned on her heel to leave. **_

"_**Kaminari!" The door was slammed close as she walked out the room. **_

"_Your father hated you." A voice echoed as Sayuri was left in an empty black room. "He hated that your mother died and that you lived." She bit her lip looking around trying to find the where the sound was coming from. "He wanted you gone!"_

That voice…it sounds familiar…_"Who are you?!"_

_It laughed as Sayuri took a step back. "I am the truth." The familiar voice echoed once again. "It's your fault that she died! You should have never been born! She died because of you!" _

"_Stop it!" Sayuri covered her ears and closed her eyes. _

"_It's all your fault!"_

XXX

"Those guys really did a number on us." Hajime said as he adjusted the bandage over his forearm. "Any luck?"

Diachi turned his head to the left and continued to stare in that general direction before turning back to his team mate. "None. We're screwed if we don't find her."

"Relax…I'm sure that were ever she is, Lady Sayuri's fine. All we have to do is get to her before any other ninja do."

Light brown eyes turned to the other Genin in a glare. "What? I'm just saying!"

With a sigh Diachi turned around. "Hurry up. It's already dawn we need to find her before the day ends."

XXX

Sayuri grunted her calm features turning into discomfort. Sakura turned to her and the other two boys besides her.

"Sayuri…?" Sakura moved to touch the girls cheek and turned around to see her protector.

"It's alright, Sakura. You take care of your teammates." Lee sad as he unwrapped the bandages on his arms.

The sound ninja rushed at him, just as he jumped at Lee the boy disappeared and reappeared underneath him giving him a kick under the chin sending the ninja flying.

"I'm not done with you." Lee said as he went behind the sound ninja. The bandages on his arms wrapped around him as Lee took hold of him and began to spin as they fell back to the ground.

The other sound ninja began to weave hand signs just before putting his hands on the ground just before his companion fell.

"Looks like I made it." The boy said as he watched his teammate get up.

"Thank you Zaku." The ninja Lee had just fought shook his head as if to snap out of something, "What a terrifying technique. I managed to land in a pillow of soil and it still almost whipped me out." He stood and turned to lee lifting up his sleeve revealing a piece of metal on his arm. "Now it's my turn."

XXX

Two ninja rushed through the forest looking from side to side in search for their teammate.

"Diachi!" Hajime called his companion who turned and gave him a nod just before the two stopped and turned around taking a defensive stance.

Two more ninja landed before them, one with two kunai in hand the other activating his kekkei genkai.

"Neji…Tenten…" The white eyed ninja took in the two.

"Diachi…" White eyes turned to his companion. "Hajime…" Everything turned quiet as Diachi and Neji took to staring down at each other.

"Hey where's Lee?" Hajime spoke up first his green eyes searching for the bowl headed ninja.

"That's what we'd like to know." Tenten answered as she eyed Neji and Diachi who seemed too involved in their staring contest. "We split up to search for the other scroll but he never came back."

"Lady Sayuri..." Neji scanned the area before turning back to Diachi. "Where is she?"

"We got split up from each other yesterday…we haven't seen her since." Hajime answered as both ninja stood up straight leaving their defensive stances.

White eyes narrowed at the two. "Didn't the ANBU assign you to her to protect her?!" Neji asked his obvious discontent evident in his voice.

Light brown eyes glared at the Hyuga. "Yes they did but, just in case you haven't noticed, we're still Genin and we're in the Chunin exams. You can't expect us to be perfect, Hyuga."

"Lady Sayuri must be protected at all times. What part of that wasn't clear?" Neji said as his stare gradually turned into a glare.

"We understood what was asked of us Hyuga…" Hajime answered taking a step forward.

"Back away or I'll take your next move as a treat." Tenten stepped towards Hajime her brown eyes glaring at her former classmate.

Hajime glared back before turning his head abruptly to the side making the girl in front of him spring into action, aiming her kunai at the boys shoulder only to have it blocked by his Katana. "I sense…Lee and Lady Sayuri…their chakra's faint but it's still there…"

_Faint…? _Tenten took a step back, worry on her face. "What do you mean by faint?"

Green met brown as he turned to her. "I mean that whatever happened…the two are knocked out."

Neji and Diachi turned to each other before nodding. "Let's go!"

XXX

"_You caused everything…" Sayuri turned to her left when the voice sounded like it was right next to her. "Your aunt died soon after didn't she."_

_That wasn't a question, it was a statement. "She died because of you! You let her die!"_

_**Two swords clashed as Kaminari blocked the assassin's attack. She grunted as she pushed against the metal before letting her kekkei genkai kick in. "Complete Body Current!" she put a hand on the assassin's wrist electrocuting him. **_

_**Golden eyes turned to the small girl cowering by the tree. "It's okay Sayuri…" the woman released the jutsu and stood the four year old up. "Come…Let's-" Just as she turned she was hit by several senbon. Kaminari fell on her side unable to move. **_

"_**A-aunt…?" Sayuri whimpered her hand trembling as she moved to touch the woman's shoulder.**_

"_**Go…" Kaminari whispered as three ninja landed before the two. "Sayuri…Run!"**_

_Sayuri took a step back as she saw her four year old self run into the forest leaving her aunt behind to be dealt with by the assassins. _

"_You see…" the voice came again. "You weren't strong enough then and you're not strong enough now!" _

"_Shut up!" Sayuri covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She shook her head._

_When everything became quiet she slowly looked up. It was then that she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her._

XXX

"From the looks of it we can kill that girl by killing Kin ourselves!" The sound ninja grinned. As Shikamaru held an unconscious Ino. His team having joined the fight shortly after Lee was taken out.

"You're despicable!" The sound ninja turned to see four ninja on a tree branch glaring down at them. "You ninja think you're so great because of your supersonic abilities…We're strong enough to beat you chumps." Neji said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Green eyes scanned the area. "Hey over there!"

"Looks like he blew it…" Neji sighed.

"Lee…" Tenten looked at him with worry.

"Lady Sayuri…" Diachi muttered seeing her unconscious. Neji looked over at the young girl before glaring at the sound ninja.

"The kid with the green suit is ours…You hurt him now you have to answer to us!" Neji said as he activated his kekkei genkai, alarming the ninja below.

Taking out his katana Hajime turned to the sound ninja. "I say we kill them…" He smirked making Zaku take an unconscious step back.

"Heh if you find us so despicable why don't you stop glaring and do something about it."

"Well from the looks of it…We won't have to." Neji said closing his eyes. Hajime put away his katana and turned to where Sayuri was. All watched as Sasuke slowly got on his feet.

"Sakura…point out the ones who did this to you!"

"Sasuke…?" the rosette girl stared in shock.

"Who was it?!" He glared.

"It was us!" Zaku answered with a smug smirk on his face

"Sasuke…you're body…" Sakura started.

"It's fine…I feel strong…bursting with power." He glanced at his hand. "I got it from him…I understand now…I'm an avenger on the path I walk I have to do whatever it takes to gain power…even if it means selling my flesh to the devil!"

_This guy…He's completely different from the one in the beginning of the exam…It's like…_Diachi watched as Sasuke's chakra spiked once more before the sound ninja raised his arms."Not good…"

"Huh? Diachi what-" Hajime was cut by the large sound that came from Zaku's jutsu.

"Hah! Blew that pipsqueak to bits!"

"What pipsqueak was that?" Zaku froze as he heard Sasuke from behind him.

Sakura watched as Sasuke punched Zaku sending him flying back before turning to her left to see Diachi with Sayuri in his arms.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Formation!" Abruptly Diachi turned to Sasuke who appeared behind the sound ninja, graving hold of his arms and putting a foot on his back and pulling at his hands.

Upon hearing Zaku scream he turned back to Sayuri making one hand sign and taping her forehead. "Release!"

Grunting Sayuri sat up holding her head. "Diachi…? Where-"

"And then there was one…I hope that you're more of a challenge." Brows furrowed in confusion. _That voice…it's…_ She turned to watch Sasuke slowly make his way over to the last sound ninja that was standing.

Sakura watched as the Uchiha began to move seeing images of the young ninja. _That's not Sasuke!" _The image she saw was that of Orochimaru.

"**STOP IT!**" Sakura cried out as she rushed to him wrapping her arms around the boy when she was within reach. "Please…Please stop…"

Sayuri watched as the two stood still. "…Sasuke…?"

The Uchiha turned his head to look at Sayuri whose eyes widened as she flinched back. Coal black eyes soften slightly before the marks on his arms, slowly began to recede and the boy slumped to the ground.

"Lad—Sayuri, are you ok?" Diachi asked catching himself. He watched the as the young konoichi's emotions were displayed on her face. Everything she felt was finally out in the open for him and anyone to see.

Upon realizing that fact he shifted to the front, covering her face from everyone around them but he wasn't quick enough to prevent Sasuke from meeting her eyes and catching the hurt and anger that she felt.

_It was him…_ _It was Sasuke! He was the voice I heard in my dream! _Brown eyes didn't register the green shirt that blocked her view of the Uchiha. _But why would I hear _his _voice? Was he there when my clan died? _Sayuri ran these questions through her head over and over again trying to get an answer but in the end came out empty handed as she was suddenly shaken out of her reverie.

"..ri!" With a gasp she looked up meeting Diachi's face. She turned to her right and was greeted by Hajime.

Green eyes bore into one dark and one light brown eye before narrowing. "What the hell were you thinking?! This test isn't a game! If you got killed we'd be disqualified!"

Sayuri blinked up at the teen before something appeared to click. "**DO I LOOK LIKE I WANTED TO END UP HERE?!**" She retorted standing up and looking down at the silver haired ninja. "**AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU TWO YESTERDAY WOULD IT HAVE KILLED YOU TO COME AND FIND ME?!**"

"**LISTEN HERE YOU IDIOT WE SPENT MOST OF YESTERDAY FIGHTHING OTHER NINJA AND LOOKING FOR YOU SO DON'T START COMPLAINING!**"

Slowly Diachi stood and dusted himself off ignoring his bickering team mates and turning to the Hyuga that stood beside him.

"Make sure to keep a distance between her and Sasuke Uchiha. Judging from that little display…he doesn't seem to have much control over his chakra…Lady Sayuri could end up hurt."

Light brown eyes narrowed at Neji as he crossed his arms. "I don't need a lecture…especially from you Hyuga."

"Neji!" Sayuri said turning to the two before releasing Hajime's collar. "What are you doing here? What about your team?"

White eyes looked over at the young brunette whose arms were currently crossed over her chest, before making a slight gesture to the right with his head. Sayuri turned to see Lee and Tenten talking to Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto.

"Hey! Sayuri!" The blonde waived at the brunette who smiled at him. Sakura and Sasuke turned to her a few seconds after. Sakura with a smile and a look of relief, while Sasuke looked aloof as ever. That is until he met her eyes for the third time that day and flinched at what he saw.

_She's afraid of me…?_ Sasuke wondered before looking away as she slowly made her way over.

"H-Hey…are you three alright?" She asked looking at Sakura and Naruto only glancing at Sasuke before her eyes focused on the other two.

"Don't worry Sayuri! Sakura, the bastard, and I are just fine! Right?!" The blonde grinned at the other two who nodded in agreement.

At this Sayuri seemed to brighten up and offered her own nod.

"Hey! Sayuri!"

Team 7 looked up to see Hajime and Diachi approach them.

"It's time for us to go. We still need to find the other scroll." Hajime said enthusiastically draping an arm around the young Marihasha.

"You still have our scroll right?" Diachi asked as he handed her a brown ninja pouch. The two watched as she took it before nodding her head in affirmative.

"It was nice seeing you three again." Hajime nodded with a smirk while Naruto narrowed his eyes at the silver haired ninja, Sakura offered a small nod and smile, and Sasuke glared.

"Hyuga's waiting for you." Diachi told Lee and Tenten before offering the team 7 a smile. With that he turned on his heel and jumped on to the tree branch above them.

"Well we're off." Hajime followed Diachi, turning to look down at Sayuri who glanced up at the branch before turning back to her old team.

"Thanks for looking after me Sakura." Sayuri said as she tugged on her sleeve. "I'll see you guys at the end of the test." Sayuri smiled as she turned. "Oh!" the three watched as she inclined her head towards them. "If not in 2 days the final day will be swarming with ninja near the tower." She smirked at the confused looks she got from Sakura and Naruto. Her brown eyes met Sasuke's black once again as she tentatively smiled at him before jumping off.

**Thank you for reading. Sorry for the delay. I promise you that I won't abandon this story! School does come first, but I will try to update regularly. **

**Please Review! I love reading what you have to say. **


	17. Preliminaries

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

Preliminaries

The leaves rustled as a cool breeze swept by while some birds took to the evening sky. The sunlight shined lightly through the shade that the trees provided.

Light brown eyes narrowed at the tree covered sky above them before focusing back on the others. "We'll reach the tower by dusk if we keep our pace up and don't encounter any trouble from the other genin."

With a sigh the silver haired boy stood up and stretched. "People will be desperate now, huh Diachi?"

"Ah." Diachi nodded before stopping abruptly as he turned to the female of the group who was currently holding her abdomen. "Let me see your wound, Sayuri."

"Huh?" The eleven year old jumped slightly wincing when she put equal weight on both sides of her body, leaning toward her left as if to relieve some tension. "Oh! Uh you don't have to. It's no big deal, really!" She said scratching the back of her head. Diachi however grasped the hem of her shirt and hitched it up.

"H-Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Sayuri screeched jumping back against the tree, causing her to wince again.

"Just take off your shirt and let me take a look." Diachi said giving her a look and crossing his arms.

"Just do it. One way or another he's going to take a look at that wound." Hajime interrupted before Sayuri could even say something.

Brown eyes shifted from left to right before a light blush crept onto her features as she took off her top and was left with only a fishnet shirt and a bandaged adorned abdomen. Diachi knelt down and began to undo the bandages. Light brown eyes narrowed at the wound on his teammate's once smooth stomach.

_With her kekkei genkai her wound should have healed by now…_ His fingers lightly brushed against the still open wound. _I don't understand…how is it still bleeding? _ He thought as he took out a salve and put a bit of it on the wound then rewrapping her abdomen with new bandages. "There. It should be fine now."

"Thanks." Sayuri said as she shrugged into her top again.

"You guys ready?" Hajime asked as he stretched his arms over his head. His two teammates turned and gave him one curt nod. "Ok let's move!" and with that the three leapt off towards the direction of the tower.

XXX

"What's this?" Sayuri asked as she neared the poster in front of them. Diachi and Hajime stepped behind her and leaned forward their attention on what the poster read.

Green eyes glanced around the building before settling back on the poster. "Hey Sayuri, let me see those scrolls."

"Hmm?" Sayuri looked back at the silver haired teen before pulling out the two scrolls from her pouch. "Here…"

Taking the scrolls he handed the earth scroll to Diachi who looked puzzled as to what Hajime had in mind. "I think that we have to open them at the same time."

"What?" Diachi and Sayuri cried out.

"Are you crazy?" Sayuri asked looking just about ready to jump her teammate.

"You want us to do the exact _opposite_ of what that Anko lady told us? Did you lose your brain on the way here Hajime?" Diachi exclaimed.

"Hey I know that we were told not to open these things but think about it! There's nothing that we have left to do."

Diachi and Sayuri looked at each other with stern gazes before nodding once and turning to Hajime.

"Alright."

"Let's do it."

Slowly Diachi and Hajime began to peel the scrolls open all three gulped when the scrolls revealed their message.

"W-what…?" Sayuri thought out loud as she leaned forward to read the kanji.

Light brown eyes narrowed at the scrolls. "It's a summoning! Let go of the scroll!" Diachi ordered just as he threw his aside, Hajime following suit.

A light 'poof' came from the scrolls as smoke began to emit from them, the body of a person slowly becoming visible as the smoke began to clear. "Hey kids." The man before them waved as he smirked down at his charges.

"Kenji-sensei?" The three ninja exclaimed in shock.

XXX

"Congratulations to you all on passing the second exam!" The third Hokage began receiving the attention of all the participants.

_Heh we started with 78 applicants, it's amazing how 24 of them actually made it…I said that I would cut down their numbers to less than half but really I was only expecting a single digit._

Sayuri glanced around the arena from her spot between Hajime and Diachi. Brown colored eyes landing on the silver haired boy and his team mates. _He's the one that those sound nin attacked…there's something about them that's just so…odd…_Sayuri mused as she inclined her head to the side and crossed her arms.

Diachi followed Sayuri's gaze before looking at the other side of the room. _Looks like all the rookies are here, interesting._ He smirked closing his eyes in contempt. _This is going to be fun._

"Now lord Hokage will explain about the third exam. Listen up and take every word he says to heart!" Anko said gaining the attention of all 24 genin. "They're all yours my lord." She said turning to the old man.

"Very well…" the third cleared his throat before continuing. "The third examination is about to begin…but before I go into specifics, let me make one thing perfectly clear!" Ino, Hinata, and Sayuri regarded at their Hokage with surprise. "It pertains to the underlying purpose of the exam."

The genin all shared a confused look as the old man continued. "Why do you think an examination of this being jointly conducted by all the nations in our mutual alliance?" He tilted his hat and smiled at the young teens. "'To promote friendship among allied nations and raise the level and standards in the arts of shinobi.' Be very clear about what those fine sounding phrases actually mean! These series of so-called examinations is in fact…a small war between all our allied lands."

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked shocked at the new discovery.

"If you were to study our recent history and consult a map, you would quickly become aware that are alliance is in fact a temporary and mutually beneficial agreement between a group of geographically contiguous lands, whose previous existence was one of continual strife…constantly jockeying against one another, openly and in secret, for power and the control of resources that were perpetually depleted almost to exhaustion in the struggle…until a better way was devised…the way of the Chunin journey man selection examination!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I thought the whole point was to select Chunin!" Naruto blurted out.

Hajime looked at his left and sweat dropped before turning to the girl behind him. "Is he for real?" He whispered.

"Unfortunately yes…" Sayuri hanged her head in shame.

"Make no mistake! When this exam is over it will have had the side effect of windowing out any applicants unfit to ascend to the level of Chunin, but even more importantly…it serves as an arena wherein, for the honor of their respective villages, young shinobi may fight to the death if need be!"

"The honor of their villages…?" Ino asked as she held her hands to her chest.

The third turned to her and continued. "The third exam will be conducted under the watchful eyes of a number of distinguished guests…including the rulers and nobility of the various lands you all aspire to serve. And among their number will be those who rule over each country's own hidden villages.

"If any one applicants demonstrate outstanding skill and superiority, the noble men from every land will be quick to commission from those trained in that superior nation, on the other hand if a particular countries applicants are shown to be incompetent…or feeble, commissions for that country will dwindle. And when one land is strong in battle and the village offers overflow with the fruits of the many outside commissions this begets, then that village may say to its neighbors "beware for we posses prowess and riches and he influence of political power"!"

"SO?" All attention was directed to one of the rookies _Kiba…_Sayuri recalled from short bump ins with him and Naruto. "Why is it necessary to stake our lives and fight?"

_The strength of a village depends on the strength of its shinobi…if one village shows that their shinobi are weak then people won't want to hire that village to do missions…._ Sayuri crossed her arms in concentration. _This exam is meant to showcase us…a way for our kages and for the feudal lords to boast their strength before all._

"You risk not only your own futures and dreams…but the dignity and prestige of your home village as well." the Hokage finished off.

"Now I get it!" Naruto smirked crossing his arms and giving off a nod.

"Whatever…could you wrap up the philosophical talk and get down to the life-and-death stuff anytime soon?" Gaara muttered looking bored as ever.

The Hokage grunted in response. "So insistent that I explain the third exam? Well the truth is…" The Hokage was cut off by the sudden appearance of a Konoha jounin.

"Forgive me for interrupting Lord Hokage but if you don't mind handing over the rest of the proceedings over to me Hayate Gekko proctor of the third exam." Said the male jounin as he knelt before the old man.

"Go ahead" the third said with a nod of his head.

"Nice to meet you everyone…I'm Hayate. Uhhh…before we start the exam I must ask you all to do something for me…" the man said in between coughs.

_He doesn't look all good at all… _Sayuri noted the dark circles around his eyes and the way he kept coughing. _It almost looks like he's about to pass out from exhaustion! _

"Umm…you see… there are some preliminaries to the exam and whether you proceed to the main exam is contingent on how well you manage those"

"Preliminaries?" Sakura echoes the proctor as she is completely taken by surprise.

"Preliminaries?" Everyone turns their attention to Shikamaru. "LIKE WHAT?" the young teen yells outraged at this new piece of information.

"Hayate sensei…" Sakura begins as she leans to the side of the Uchiha. "I don't understand what you mean by preliminaries. Why can't all of the remaining applicants just proceed to directly to the next exam?"

"Well…I don't want to say that the first two exams weren't demanding enough but the truth is, we still have too many applicants. Under the traditional rules of the exam we have preliminary test to reduce a number of applicants who'll proceed to the third exam."

"B-but…" Sakura tries to interrupt as she begins to understand what exactly it is that is going on now.

"As Lord Hokage mentioned a number of honored guests will be observing you during the third exam…so we must make the exam intense, tight, and fast moving." The man coughed again. "So anyway…Now that you know something of what it's all about…anyone who doesn't feel up to the challenge, either physically or mentally, can walk away. Just take one step forward, because the preliminaries start now!"

"**NOW?**" Kiba shouts as he and Naruto are in complete disbelief.

"W-what?" Sayuri gaps her brown eyes widening. _We don't get a day's rest at least? _The young Konoichi looks down at her abdomen where her shirt tore. _I haven't healed yet…it's almost as if something is blocking my chakra from getting to the wound! _She clutched the fabric and glared at the ground. _Should I continue? _

"Looks like I'll have to stay this time…" Kabuto muttered as the he glanced over at one of the Konoha jounin who gave him a small nod. _Won't I Lord Orochimaru…_

"You sure you can handle it Kabuto?" Yoroi asks leaning slightly as to not let anyone else hear him.

"I'll be fine Yoroi…just concentrate on your match." Kabuto replies with a smirk.

From the corner of her eye Sayuri say Sasuke twitch before clutching his left shoulder. _Is he hurt…?_ The young Marihasha wondered feeling as if she had forgotten something very important.

"So…" Hayate coughed again. "Looks like no one is bailing out." He looked down at the pad he was holding before writing something down.

"Sasuke I think you should quit!" Sakura whispered catching Sayuri's attention. "Ever since Orochimaru attacked you, you haven't been yourself…that mark on your skin is hurting you again isn't it? And it just keeps getting worse!"

_Mark…? _Sayuri thought for a second and inclined her head towards her old tem to be able to better eaves drop on the conversation. _Orochimaru…? _ She wondered before stiffening remembering how that grass ninja had impaled that kunai into her abdomen and then how he had bitten Sasuke.

"Are you feeling ok?" Daichi asked worry on his face as he noticed how she clutched her shirt. "Do you really think you should keep going?" at this one dark brown and one light brown eye looked directly at his own brown ones with shock.

"Why do you ask that? Do you think I should stop?" Sayuri asked narrowing her eyes.

"Now, now…" Hajime said as he patted Sayuri's shoulder trying to pacify her. "It's probably nothing but we've noticed that you've favored the right side of your body more since we found you…that and that your chakra has been steadily declining…" green eyes narrowed at her mismatched brown "…even after the two days we had to recover since before we got here."

Diachi put a hand on her shoulder and leaned closer to her. "It's ok to stop now…you did your best besides you need to stay-"

"Safe, I know that already!" Sayuri bit out. "But I'm not quitting! I can handle this!" She retorted before letting out a small gasp and clutching her wound.

"Sayuri…!" Both whispered as they held her wobbling body steady.

_Why is it hurting more now than before? _Sayuri panted before loosening her hold on her shirt only to see it soaked in red. _Damn it! _She cursed as her vision began to blur before clearing again.

Looking between Sasuke and Sayuri the third frowned. "It's just as I feared."

"What can we do?" Ibiki asked the elder man as he fixed his eyes on Sasuke.

"Pull them out of the exams! Quarantine the two under the black ops agents!" Anko offered.

"And do you really think that they'll go quietly if you ordered that?" Kakashi's voice suddenly caught their attention. "Keep in mind to which clans those two belong to." The silver haired jounin smiled.

"Don't talk nonsense! I'll stop him by force if I have to. Any attempt the Uchiha makes to manipulate his own chakra will provoke a reaction from the curse seal forcibly drawing out and draining all his strength. It's the mark of a forbidden art which debilitates the body of its holder!" Anko retorted. "It's a miracle that a child like him is able to bear it at all…by all rights it should have killed him already." She looked over at Sasuke before taking in Sayuri. "As for Lady Sayuri…I can't say but according to the reports of both of her teammates her wound has yet to heal at all and her chakra appears to be declining…something that has been proven, as I'm sure you've noticed Kakashi." She looked at the man now with complete determination to get the two out. "Whatever it was that Orochimaru did to her is definitely not something that is consequence of a normal attack…he had to have done something to her."

"Still…" The third intervened. "I'm still concerned of what Orochimaru said…let Sasuke continue and if the curse mark spread and makes his power go rampant we shall take measures and intervene…as for Lady Sayuri, should we see any sudden decline of her chakra other than the steady one that we see now…we will have to stop the match and attend to her on the spot."

"Sir!" Both Anko and Ibiki nodded in agreement.

"Ahh…well then…we'll begin the preliminaries which will consist of individual combat matches as though this were part of a tournament as there are a total of 24 combatants we will hold a total of 12 bouts and the victors of those bouts will advance to the third exam." Hayate coughed and cleared his throat. "This is a no holds barred combat each pair will fight until their opponent is either dead, unconscious, or admits defeat. As soon as you sense that your opponent is overpowering you immediately concede your loss if you value your life…Uhh since we don't want a total blood bath in our hands there maybe cases where we step in and decide the winner…but don't count on that."

There was a small clanging sound coming from above the Genin who all turned their attention to it only to find a rectangular screen. "From here on out your fate is determined by this electronic scoreboard. At the start of every round we will display the name of each combatants of that match…so not too hurry you all to the slaughter house; we'll now announce the first two names." Everyone turned once again to the screen with anticipation.

_Please don't be Sasuke… _Sakura prayed silently clasping her hands to her chest while looking at the raven haired boy. _Please anyone but him! _ It was then that a small sound came from the screen and Sakura warily turned her attention to the screen.

**Sayuri Marihasha vs. Kabuto Yakushi **


	18. Sayuri Marihasha vs Kabuto Yakushi

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

Sayuri Marihasha vs. Kabuto Yakushi

_This is perfect…_Kabuto thought as he looked over at his opponent.

_Shit! _Diachi looked down at the konoichi about to open his mouth in objection until he spotted Hajime patting the girl on the back.

The young brunette turned to her silver haired teammate. "You got this!" He said with a reassuring smile, Sayuri giving him a sharp nod offering him a smirk.

"Will the two whose names are listed on the board please step forward." Hayate called.

The two Genin stood face to face one seemingly tired the other clutching her abdomen. "Sayuri Marihasha, Kabuto Yakushi you two have been selected to compete in the first bout. Any objections?"

"I've got none." Kabuto answered first giving the girl a smile.

"Neither do I." Sayuri answered as she stared at her opponent warily.

Coal black eyes fixed themselves on the girl of the two slowly traveling down to her abdomen where her hand lay tightening slightly for a second before loosening its hold. _Her wound hasn't healed yet? _Sasuke narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

_Looks like Sayuri's up first…show me how much you've improved. _Neji settled his gaze on Sayuri a small smirk in place.

_Well…it seems that you haven't recovered from your fight with Lord Orochimaru…have you_ Lady _Sayuri…_ Kabuto thought as he tilted his head to the side regarding the girl in front of him.

"It's time for the first round to commence…so everyone other than the two combatants should move to the upstairs gallery now." It was then that everyone moved towards the stairs.

"GOOD LUCK SAYURI!" Naruto called from the stands. "OH! AND YOU TOO KABUTO!" The blonde furiously waved his arms at the two a huge grin on his face.

Kakashi stood behind his team as he looked down at the eleven year old. _Be careful Sayuri… _

"Sensei…" Diachi and Hajime began but were promptly cut off by the jounin as he placed a hand on their shoulders.

Their young teacher gave them a small smile and with that they turned to the impending match. _You're not an idiot Sayuri…you know your chakra is depleting…so don't use too much of it!_

"All right!" Hayate began once the arena was cleared. "Begin!"

"Ladies first." Kabuto offered with a smile.

With that Sayuri gave the silver haired man a smirk. "Sure thing!" taking out shuriken from her pouch she threw them at the silver haired male only managing to barely nick him on the cheek before he rushed over to her, kunai in hand, sweeping at her left and right as she dodged every one of his attempts before losing a few strands of hair as she ducked.

Kabuto jumped out of the way as she aimed a kick to his chin and threw the kunai in her direction only to have it deflected by her own. Twirling the shiny metal object in her index finger the young konoichi rushed over to him and flung it before she aimed a series of punches and kicks.

With a grunt Kabuto pushed a kick aside just as he was promptly punched in the face and sent flying to the opposite side of the arena. Rolling over to his side he glared at Sayuri who stood at the defensive as she glared back.

_That little…_His eyes flared as he rushed at her again aiming a punch of his own at her but just as it was about to connect with her face she caught his wrist, shifting his arm to the side as she placed a kick on his abdomen causing Kabuto to buckle and slump forward as he held his now throbbing stomach. He looked up at the young girl who only had time to gasp before his hand flew to her shirt and threw her over his shoulder and onto the stone floor.

Wincing as she got to her knees, Sayuri looked over at Kabuto who was getting up. _Back then…his eyes…they didn't seem normal…_Sayuri thought as she stood up wiping the small trickle of blood that made its way down her chin.

_I wonder how much I would have to push her before her chakra is exhausted. _Kabuto smirked at Sayuri a small glint in his eyes, it was then that he appeared at her side punching her abdomen making the young girl double over and shriek in agony.

"**SAYURI!**" Naruto and Sakura cried out alarmed while Sasuke clutched at the metal bars as he leaned over, slight concern showing on his face.

Kakashi glanced over to Kenji who turned to the Hokage and then turned to give him a grim look. _I can't do anything unless he gives me the 'Go.' _Kakashi said to himself as he clenched his fists.

Kabuto looked down at the girl who was on her knees struggling to breath. _Don't worry this will all be over soon…_ He pulled her back up by her hair as she struggled to get free. It was then that Sayuri met his gaze for the third time and let out a small startled gasp.

Sayuri froze as she could practically feel the dark aura coming from her opponent, in a panic she began to trash around trying to free herself, alarming both her current and ex-teammates.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out, but the jounin already had his eyes locked on the fight below.

_Sayuri's never acted like this! _The silver haired man narrowed his eyes worried over his student.

Kabuto gave out a small chuckle at the sight before him, smirking as the young girl desperately tried to release herself from his hold. _Such a child…_ he let out a small laugh as he tugged her head making her look at him. Sayuri tugged at his arm with both hands digging her nails into his skin but to no avail. "Don't you worry that pretty little head of yours…I'll make sure to end this as quickly as I possibly can." He whispered to her as her brown eyes widened in fear.

_I've got to do something! But what? Think Sayuri…THINK! _The young girl chanted to herself as she stood frozen in fear.

Suddenly Kabuto let out a yelp as he let go of Sayuri's hair. He turned his attention to his arm and saw as Sayuri's hands tightened while electricity enveloped his arm. With a growl Kabuto punched Sayuri on the side of her head causing the girl to stagger off to the side. Holding his arm he glared at her as she panted with a smirk on her lips.

"Don't expect to feel that arm of yours anytime soon, I made sure to sever the nerves…"

"Heh…" he kneeled down. "As if…I'm a medical ninja I'll just heal it-" he looked down shocked at his arm while the other tried to heal it but to no avail.

It was now Sayuri's time to laugh. "I also made sure to stun your cells so they wouldn't be able to absorb any of your chakra and repair that arm…well at least not for a while." She made three hand signs and expelled her chakra in the form of crackling lighting that surrounded her body. "Now then why don't I finish this…"

"That's…" Kenji began as he looked completely taken by surprise.

"…Kaminari's technique!" Kakashi finished for him as both looked down at the girl on the arena. Three pairs of eyes turned to their sensei questioning.

"Who's Kaminari?" Naruto asked the jounin.

Eyes hardening Kakashi answered his blonde student. "Kaminari is…was Sayuri's aunt. That technique is her 'Complete Body Current,' it was used and created by Kaminari as a both defensive and offensive move. She gathers large amounts of chakra and expels it through every pore in her body shaping it as electricity."

"Lady Kaminari had intended for it to mimic the 'Gentle Fist' but instead of inserting her own chakra into her opponents chakra pathways, she inserted small amounts of electrical impulses directly onto the nervous system as well as the cells." Neji mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So technically…she numbs them?" Tenten asked her teammate who shook his head.

"No she makes whatever body part she can make contact with completely useless." Both Lee and Tenten looked down at Sayuri in awe. _When did you learn that technique, Sayuri…? _Neji wondered as he stared down at the girl.

"…However, this technique requires it's user to have a large amount of chakra and a very good sense of control on had to begin with…something that Sayuri doesn't have. Using it in her state of chakra control and reserve is suicidal…" Kenji tightened his hold on the railing while his students turned to him in shock.

"Suicidal?" Diachi growled at his teacher in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing then? Stop her!"

Kenji looked over at the Hokage who had a grim look on his face but did not meet his gaze. "I can't…"

"Why the hell not!" Sasuke demanded as he turned to Kakashi glaring daggers at the jounin.

With a sigh Kakashi closed his eyes. "Believe me I want to stop her, but unless the Hokage gives us the go we can't do anything."

_I don't have much time…_ Sayuri thought as she tried to steady her breathing. Gathering what was left of her energy she rushed over to Kabuto aiming a punch to his left shoulder, opening her palm she pushed at his abdomen, and then quickly spun around aiming a well placed fist between his shoulders. Still in shock from the large amount of electricity his body was bombarded by, Kabuto merely stood his ground for a few seconds before falling forward with a thud.

Hayate appeared instantly besides the fallen Genin and found his pulse. _He'll survive…_ Hayate glanced at the panting Marihasha before standing up. "Sayuri Marihasha will move on to the final stage of the exam." He said in his raspy voice.

Suddenly the panting girl began to sway before falling forward. Mere feet away from colliding face first with cement floor Kenji had caught her by the waist, feeling the warm wet fabric. Turning the girl over his eyes fell first on her blood soaked shirt then on her pale face. "WE NEED A MEDICAL TEAM HERE STAT!" he yelled out as he applied pressure to Sayuri's wound.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as he leaned over the railing trying to look over the medical team that surrounded both Kabuto and Sayuri.

"I…I don't know…" Sakura murmured a worried look on her face as she held her hands over her chest.

_She was probably using some of her chakra to keep her wound from bleeding out…but judging with the rate that her chakra was depleting and that last jutsu that she pulled, she must have expended her last amount of energy and the wound was allowed to bleed openly. _Kakashi sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. _So reckless…_The jounin looked over at the Uchiha who was glowering down at the scene of the medics leaving with Sayuri on a stretcher.

Sasuke turned to Kakashi as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be fine." A pair of cerulean eyes and a pair of jade green ones turned to the silver haired jounin as he watched the youngest member of his team being carried out the arena. "She's part of team seven remember…I trained her." Both Sakura and Naruto nodded with a small smile on their face while the Uchiha turned his gaze to the exit and scowled.

_You're such an idiot Sayuri…. _He thought as he closed his eyes and looked off to the side.

XXX

The only sound in the white room was that of the heart monitors, and the scribbling that that the doctor made on his pad as he stood over the Marihasha girl. Meanwhile the nurse fluffed up the pillow under the girls head and making sure that she was warm enough, before moving over to the windows and closing the curtains.

"Her chakra is still not stabilized, and the wound on her abdomen for some reason is not taking in any chakra so that it can be properly healed." The doctor said as he finished writing on the pad. He turned to Kenji and Kakashi. "She will be able to train, but will have to use less chakra than what she's used to. I'd advise you to let her rest for a few days so that she can replenish as much energy as possible…she'll need it to be able to keep that wound of hers in check."

The two jounin nodded to show that they had been paying attention and turned over to the door as it opened revealing three nurses as they brought Sasuke into the room. Carefully they placed his bead besides Sayuri's and began to set up a respirator mask, making sure that everything was working properly before bowing at the doctor and the two jounin and taking their leave.

"As for Mr. Uchiha I didn't notice anything irregular in his chakra pattern…it seems that you were able to stabilize it, but, like Lady Sayuri, I advise you to keep him in bed rest for a couple of days.'' The doctor instructed before leaving the four ninja.

Kenji turned to Kakashi who stood arms crossed, examining his two students. "What Orochimaru said back then…after the sealing…" He started, as Kakashi kept his gaze on the two Genin. "…Do you think that-"

"No. Sasuke will become strong, but in his own way. He wouldn't betray his village for power…" Kenji inclined his head to the side as he regarded the older jounin.

"You don't sound too sure about it Kakashi."

The older jounin ran a hand through his hair in slight irritation. "He threatened Sayuri's life Sayuri's life…"

Kenji alarmed stepped closer to Sayuri's bed. "What do you mean threatened? What the hell did he say?"

"Lower your voice Kenji." He glared. "He told me to be careful…that he wouldn't want anything to happen to the princess of the fire country."

"Do you think he plans on using Sayuri to start a war?"

Kakashi nodded his head. "I don't know…but we should have ANBU guard this room as well as increase Sayuri's assigned ANBU to make sure that she's safe."

Kenji nodded. "I already asked an ANBU team to stand guard they'll be arriving in a few minutes."

Kakashi turned to Kenji who had moved to look out the door. "By the way are you going to train both Sayuri and Hajime?" The jounin in question turned to his companion and smirked.

"No. I managed to convince someone else to train her."

At this Kakashi looked at Kenji with interest. "Oh really…who?"

Kenji turned to the door as he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Kakashi regarded the door with curiosity, before his eyes widened as they stared at the woman in the doorway. Her black hair fell a bit past her shoulders, she wore a single sleeved aqua colored shirt with a yellow fishnet showing on her bare arm and standard jounin pants along with the standard shinobi sandals. Kakashi brought his gaze back to focus on her face as he looked at bright orange eyes.

"You know…it's rude to stare Kakashi." She said with a smirk.

"Mo…Moriyo!"


	19. Truths and Worries

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

Truths and Worries

"Why are you here, Moriyo?" Kakashi asked a he narrowed his eye.

The woman in question took to looking at the passing customers. "You know it's been a really long time since I came to this store. I missed their dango." She said wistfully as she began to make her way inside before being caught by the elbow courtesy of her masked companion.

"Moriyo…" Kakashi warned but she did not look his way. "Mo-"

She gave him a sad smile. "She was my best friend, I feel like I owe it to her to…you know look after her niece." She sighed and looked at the morning sky. "When I heard that Orochimaru had infiltrated the village I rushed here hoping that nothing had happened to Sayuri, but I guess I was too late for that, so I think that if I train her she'll be better prepared. Besides…" Moriyo smirked up at the silver haired jounin. "…You'd suck at teaching her any of Kaminari's techniques."

"Say's the person who couldn't even master a simple tree climbing exercise in three weeks." Kakashi nudged her and she made a face.

"Whatever scare crow! If memory serves me right you got your ass handed to you by a girl during _your _Chunin exam, need I remind you by who?"

Both ninja glared at each other before bursting out in a fit of laughter. "Let's get some dango." Kakashi offered and Moriyo was all too willing to comply.

XXX

The door to the hospital room swung open easily without making a sound as a ninja entered the room. An ANBU turned around just in time to catch the intruder.

"Hey! You're not supposed to-" His neck was quickly snapped as the other appeared behind him and twisted it. The ANBU fell forward lifelessly as the enemy looked down at the former guard with a smug expression.

"And you men call yourself ANBU." Kabuto's voice filled the room as he looked back out the door where 2 other ANBU laid. "Now then…" He poked his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "Where were we?" The man turned to the two Genin that were still unconscious from their fights.

XXX

"So how exactly are you going to teach Sayuri?" Kakashi asked the woman as they entered the hospital 5th floor. That question however got him a look that said 'Do you really think I'd tell you.' Holding his hands up defensively, he smiled. "Ok, ok…no more training questions."

Moriyo 'humphed' as she put a stick of dango in her mouth before something caught her eye. She covered her mouth, "Hey Kakashi…isn't that the ANBU we left at the kids' room?"

Alarmed both Kakashi and Moriyo rushed to the hospital room.

XXX

Taking out a scapula Kabuto walked over to two. "There's such a thing as being too outstanding…we were both unfortunate to catch the eye of Lord Orochimaru." He turned to Sayuri tilting his head to the side. "According to Lord Orochimaru both you and Naruto have been changing Sasuke's heart…so the only choice here is to kill you."

He slowly walked over to stand between both of their beds. _To think that even at such a young age there's a demon living in his heart…and for it to be used against him…eventually with that ninjutsu this child will also.._.Kabuto brought the scapula to his chest. "Sorry kid…nothing personal." Kabuto began to bring down the medical instrument aiming at Sasuke's throat.

"I wouldn't if I were you." A female voice brought Kabuto's attention to the doorway where Moriyo stood hands crossed holding a stick of dango. She made a gesture for him to turn around. Kabuto cautiously turned his head to meet face to face with Kakashi who swiftly took the scapula away and discarded it.

Kabuto pulled away and smiled at the older ninja. "Well if it isn't Kakashi. Looking after your student's eh?"

"You…you're no ordinary Genin are you?" Kakashi asked taking a step forward when Kabuto didn't answer he tried again. "What did you want with Sasuke? Depending on what you want and intended…I'll have to capture you and have you interrogated."

Kabuto chuckled as he turned to his senior. "Can you really do that?"

"You want to try me?" Kakashi glared.

Moriyo looked over at the three ANBU that lay dead at her feet then focused her orange colored eyes on Kabuto. "Who the heck are you?" she demanded and continued when he didn't respond. "Weren't you that kid that was rescued by a leaf doctor…Kabuto was it?"

"Next time I'd prepare at least ten…" the so called Genin responded referring to the ANBU.

Her bright orange eyes turned cold and hardened. _This guy…could he really be that strong? _She let out a low growl, slowly losing her patience. "Just answer the damn questions!"

He smirked at Moriyo inclining his head. "What if I say 'No'?"

"We're the ones asking the questions here. So just answer them…" Kakashi intercepted. "Are you working for Orochimaru?"

At that he smiled. "If you capture me now you won't find out anything. I won't talk no matter what torture or genjutsu you put me under…however if you let me go you'll find out soon enough…so won't you let me go this time?"

"Spoiled brat!" Moriyo bit out and Kakashi sighed.

"Don't mess with adults kid!" The silver haired jounin said as he pointed a kunai at his junior. However Kabuto pulled out his own hooked kunai.

"You know the laws of the village…don't you? You know what happens to spies."

"Stop acting so superior…I'm at the advantage right now…" Kakashi glared, until he was taken by surprise as he moved his kunai and held it above Sayuri's throat.

With a smirk he began to drop his arm, but the kunai was knocked out of his hand as Moriyo jumped over Sayuri's bed and twisted his arm pushing him towards Kakashi who kicked him on the side of his torso slamming him down to the tiled floor. Suddenly one of the ANBU stood up and rushed to the door catching Moriyo and Kakashi off guard.

"And where do you think you're going?" Kenji asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Slowly he entered the room causing the ANBU to back away trying to look for an exit.

"When did you get here?" Kakashi asked his fellow jounin.

"Heh…I was checking up on Diachi when I noticed this mess." The younger answered gesturing to the two ANBU outside the room.

"Hey!" Moriyo called out and both men turned to see another ANBU turn and throw kunai at the window before leaping and smashing through it.

Both Kakashi and Kenji rushed over to the window to see the ANBU remove his mask revealing a smirking Kabuto.

"We let him escape!" Kakashi growled.

"Ugh!" His attention was called back over to the room where Moriyo was kneeling down before what they thought was Kabuto. "It's the Dead Soul Jutsu…he was controlling their hearts for a short amount of time. He made sure to change his face to make that this guy look like him and even erased his scent!" She explained as she showed the other two the stitches on the dead ANBU's face. "Not to mention the fact that he stopped his own heartbeat to impersonate a dead ANBU to plan an escape…" she sighed and leaned back.

"Damn brat knows what he's doing." Kenji mumbled as he pinched the ridge of his nose.

"He has to…he was raised by the leader of the Medical Unit…" Kakashi looked over at the now broken window. _For someone like this to be involved with Orochimaru…_ "My current condition isn't enough…!"

"Huh?" Moriyo turned to Kakashi her brow furrowing in thought.

Kenji pocketed his hands and turned away from the dead body's his attention now on the two sleeping children. "You're not the only one…"

Bright orange eyes shifted from Kakashi to Kenji with a solemn expression. _These two were ANBU…it must bother them a lot to see someone, mere years younger than them, bait them like this…_

XXX

The only sound that filled the room was that of the heart monitor as Sasuke Uchiha watched his roommate intently. He noticed how from time to time her brow would furrowed as if in discomfort, before smoothening out, he noticed how her long curled eyelashes fluttered across her lightly pink dusted cheeks as she slept, and how her breath would hitch and she bite her bottom lip lightly in pain before relaxing.

…_Eye lashes…pink cheeks…lips…? _Why the heck was _he _noting his teammate's features? He wondered and shook his head as if to throw out any thoughts of the girls sleeping habits, before turning to look out the window.

A light gasp, however, brought his attention back to the young girl, and he watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

Startled she sat up looking at her surroundings in a panic as she tried to get her bearings. It wasn't until Sasuke shifted that she noticed he was there and met his onyx eyes. She felt her face heat up as she stared at him with only the light of the moon highlighting his features. He stared back with a small amount of awe as the moonlight focused on her face and shoulders. Both left completely speechless as they stared at one another.

It was at this point that both Sasuke and Sayuri had the same thought at that same moment in time: _I'm hallucinating! _And with that Sasuke turned away looking out the open window, and Sayuri laid down turning her back to the avenger.

XXX

"So…uh…" Sayuri started while picking at her food. "How was your match?" Sasuke looked up from his tray and turned to Sayuri.

"Good…I'm fighting in the next round."

"Oh! That's good…did you see the other matches?"

"No."

"Oh…I see." With that both turned back to their lunch. _Why couldn't I have been left with Naruto…or even Sakura…? _ The young girl wined as she sighed and pushed her tray away.

There was a light nock on the door catching both their attention as the door swung open. "Hello there, you two!" Moriyo sang as she skipped into the room followed by Kakashi. Both Sasuke and Sayuri only blinked up at the woman who proceeded to walk over to Sayuri's bed. "Look at you, Sayuri! You've grown so much! You're a cute little thing, can't say the hair suits you though, I liked it better when it was long."

Kakashi sighed and shook his head, while Sasuke took to staring at the woman who seemed to know his teammate. Sayuri on the other hand tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm sorry…but, do I know you?" at this Moriyo gave Sayuri a surprised look.

Placing her hands on her hips the woman in question tilted her head to the side then leaned forward closer to Sayuri as if inspecting her. Her brow furrowed as her orange colored eyes narrowed in concentration. "Do you really_ not_ know who I am?" She watched the young brunette give another nod. _So then the rumors are true…she did lose her memory_.Leaning back she held out a hand. "Name's Moriyo…I'll be your sensei in preparation for the final exam."

"Oh…" Sayuri hesitantly took the hand given to her. "Nice to meet you…"

_Sensei…? So then does that mean that Kakashi won't be training her for this either? _Sasuke wondered as he watched Sayuri interact with her new instructor. His attention however was called over to his right where Kakashi had placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I will be teaching you for the final exam…By the way Sasuke in the next match you will be facing Gaara, Sayuri you'll be up against Hajime." He let that bit of information sink in before moving on. "So my advice is for you two to get plenty of rest now, because you won't get any while we're dealing with you." He gave Sasuke's shoulder one light squeeze before making his way over to the door. "Let them rest Moriyo, you'll get to know your student better in a couple of days."

"I hope this whole ordering me around doesn't become a habit _scare crow_…" mumble Moriyo as she exited the door after waving goodbye at the two Genin.

"Hajime, huh..." Sasuke turned to Sayuri who had crossed her arms over her chest. "I wonder if Diachi made it." She tilted her head to her roommate with a questioning look. "Do you think Naruto passed?"

The Uchiha scoffed and gave her a smirk. "Knowing the idiot he probably did." Sayuri grinned at the response and gave him a firm nod.

"You're right! That guy doesn't know when to quit… Probably did something stupid during his match too!" She laughed while Sasuke smirked at the comment.

Night came soon enough for the two Genin who had spent most of their time commenting on who had advanced and how they though training would go with their sensei's although most of the conversation was one sided. With the moon their only source of light both Genin laid on their beds attempting to sleep.

Coal black eyes wondered over to the figure lying back facing him narrowing at the sight. _Her chakra's still irregular…_

XXX

"_**Sayuri**_**!" Both Sasuke and Sakura cried out as the young ninja was slammed into a tree with a small grunt. She slid down only to be caught by the collar by the snake's tongue. **

**The grass ninja's attention was drawn to the pattern on her sleeve. **_**Marihasha…**_** He gave the brunette a smirk as he cupped her cheek. "Well, well, well…So you're Nagisa and Yūkan's daughter…" Brown eyes glared at the ninja who took out a kunai. "Say hello to them for me." He said with a menacing smile as he pulled back his kunai aiming it at her abdomen. **

"**SAYURI!" **

XXX

The Uchiha closed his eyes in exasperation. _She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I had acted fast enough! _Sasuke scolded himself as he gripped the sheets tightly.

"Sasuke…" He stiffened at the sound of his name. He made no sound or move as he lay completely still as to not attract attention to himself. "Sasuke…you…" He watched as Sayuri turned to lay face up. "You're too quiet you know that?" she mumbled and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

_Her eyes are closed._ He observed and began to sit up leaning forward slightly to get a better look. He noticed the steady rise and fall of her chest and furrowed his brow in confusion. _The heck! She's sleeping talking…So the kid _was _right._ He thought as he leaned back and regarded the girl with curiosity.

"Naruto." Sasuke watched as she nuzzled her face onto the pillow "You're and idiot!" she giggled. "Stop! No don't…" Sayuri shifted and laughed. "Naruto stop!" At that point Sasuke got up from his bed and walked over to sleeping girl. "Naruto can I tell you something?" She laughed again and Sasuke leaned over the Marihasha casting a shadow over her. "I like your eyes…" It was at that point that Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Hey!" Sasuke began as he shook the girl. "Wake up." The young girl grunted but complied as she rubbed her eyes.

"Wha-?" She looked up to meet coal black eyes. "What is it?" she asked as she leaned up on her elbows.

"You were sleep talking." He deadpanned and the Marihasha's eye twitched.

"You woke me up…because I was sleep talking?" However Sasuke gave no answer turning away to lay back on his bed, only to be promptly pulled back up by the collar. "I asked you a question you ass!"

"I was trying to go to sleep you moron!" he countered with a glare

"And I was already sleeping, you freaking ice cube!" He raised an eyebrow at her; ice cube was new. A faint blush began to spread across her cheeks as she shoved him back onto the bed.

He watched as the young girl returned to her bed, while she bit her thumb. Seconds tick by, slowly turning into minutes before he spoke up. "Stop biting your damn thumb…It's annoying." Sayuri turned to him in obvious annoyance, but that quickly dissipated into worry.

The Uchiha sighed; he shouldn't have woken Sayuri up. But for some reason knowing that she was dreaming of Naruto made him sick. So he woke her up on an impulse and now he had to deal with a groggy and worried Sayuri. With a low grumble he propped himself up into a sitting position "What-"

"You're going to face Gaara…" Sayuri blurted out. Raising a dark eyebrow he regarded the young girl with a bored expression as the young girl blushed. "It's just that…there's something about him that's just…not right, a-and-"

"You're being paranoid." Sasuke deadpanned.

The young girl shook her head. "No, I'm not." She started her tone suddenly a bit too serious, one that he'd never heard her use before and so had decided that it didn't suite her at all. "His own teammates fear him. Didn't you notice that?"

"Yeah, so?" he shrugged.

"You make it sound like it's normal!" Sayuri glared at him before looking away exasperated. "Never mind!" She got under the covers and laid down, back facing him. "Just don't get killed, ok Uchiha? And don't get full of yourself either! I'm not worried about you I'm just trying to help the team…You won't be much use to us if you're in the hospital!"

"Worry about yourself Marihasha." He laid down, his back to hers and let out a sigh. "And don't worry I'll make sure to beat the spook so that I can have a match against you and that blonde idiot."

Sayuri's eyes widened a bit in shock before she smiled into her pillow, pulling the covers close to her body. _You better keep your promise…Sasuke. _With that Sayuri drifted off to sleep.

**A.N.**

**Thank you guys for reading! **

**And please review I like to know what you think of the story so far **


	20. Let it all Begin

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

Let it all Begin

Sasuke pulled his navy blue shirt over his head, wearing the Uchiha crest proudly on his back. Quietly he folded his hospital clothes and placed them on the foot of his bead before making his way over to the window which he slid open allowing the warm morning air into the room. Fixing his coal black eyes on the still dark morning sky he swung his right foot outside the windowsill.

"The doctor gave you bed rest Sasuke…" alarmed he turned to his roommate who turned her head over to him as she opened her eyes.

"I thought-"

"It's almost dawn. The nurse won't come in for another five minutes." Sayuri interrupted her gaze focused on the rising sun behind him. With a nod the Uchiha turned to jump out the window landing on the ground with a light thud before jumping over the hospital's gate and into Konoha's street.

A dark brown eye and light brown glinted lightly as the sun rose to meet her window. "The sunrise is always so pretty." The girl sighed, a small smile on her lips.

The door swung open as the nurse stepped in. "Ok…Lady Sayuri is first and then Sasu…ke…" She paused as she took a look at the room. "Where are they?" The nurse all but screamed rushing over to the open window in the room, sticking her head out hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the two.

_Sorry but I don't necessarily feel like staying around here for much longer. _Sayuri smiled, hiding behind a tree until the nurse turned back to the room. Quickly Sayuri jumped onto a tree branch then leapt over the hospital gate landing gracefully on the stone street. Putting her arms behind her she turned on her heel and began to walking into the slowly crowding village.

XXX

Bright orange eyes fixed themselves on the various sweets on the stand. "Hmmm…" she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Which one…" Her eyes traveled from the sweet breads, the cookies, the cakes, the ice cream and over to the small bags of treats. "I'll have…the Anpan- NO! Wait! I'll take a slice of Castella- NO! How about the Hakuto Jelly- NO!" The old shop owner put down the jelly and regarded the woman before him with mild annoyance.

"Miss how about you move aside so that you can better decide and let me attend to the rest of the customers?" He asked with a twitching smile.

"Huh?" The young woman turned around to see the long line of angry villagers behind her. Laughing nervously she scratched the back of her head and turned back to the owner who merely crossed his arms. "Sorry…Oh!" She snapped her fingers "I got it!" Behind her the waiting customers cheered. "I'll have one of everything!" And they all sighed irritated while waiting for the shop keeper to gather one of each item.

XXX

"Moriyo-sensei!" Said woman turned around bags in hand as she regarded the person before her with mild surprise.

"Sayuri?" The girl in question regarded the older woman with curiosity, eyeing the eight plastic bags in her hands. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed rest for at least another week?" At that the girl blushed lightly and scratched the back of her head.

"I snuck out…" At this Moriyo twitched. "Besides I don't need the rest. The sooner we start the better it is!"

The jounin tilted her head at the Marihasha heir before nodding. "Aah. Well then first off, here." She handed four bags over to Sayuri who took them with curiosity. "Help me carry these sweets over to my apartment and we'll go from there."

Sayuri gaped at the woman and turned to the bags. "All these are sweets?" the woman laughed.

"Yes! Now let's get going!" Moriyo ordered turning away from Sayuri to lead the way.

XXX

"A month?" Sayuri stopped placing the box of sweets into the pantry and turned to her new sensei that was currently sitting in her dining room table. "I have a month to train before the exam begins?"

"Yes. That's correct." Moriyo nodded in agreement. "From today onward I will train you to the best of my ability. Starting with your chakra control, once we've taken care of that we'll move on to taijutsu and finally ninjutsu…most specifically Kaminari's ninjutsu."

Sayuri looked at the dark haired woman in shock. "My…aunts' ninjutsu?" she watched as the woman nodded in affirmative. "You know her jutsu?"

Moriyo gave Sayuri a smirk. "You know for someone that doesn't remember much of her childhood you seem to know a lot about your aunt."

The young brunette shook her head as she closed the pantry door. "No…it's just that I remember bits and pieces of my childhood but everything seems…" she paused in search for a word. "…I don't know…foggy? I also know of my aunt because Saito said that he used to train with her."

"Then how did you learn the Body Current?"

Sayuri turned to her teacher and balled her hands into fists. "I…I saw it in a dream. Or at least what I think was a dream."

"A dream…?" Moriyo leaned forward. "Explain."

Sayuri looked off to the side and began to play with the hem of her sleeve. "During the exam in the Forest of Death…I had a dream of my aunt and I being attacked. That's when I saw her do it."

"I see...So you merely imitated what you saw." The jounin concluded and the Marihasha nodded.

"Yes."

_For her to be able to mimic Kaminari's jutsu just from seeing it once is something…If she's able to do that then I wonder if she'll be able to perform her clans other jutsu..._ Standing up Moriyo placed her hands on her hips. "All right, we've wasted enough time here let's begin." She inclined her head towards the door of her apartment. "Follow me."

XXX

Sayuri followed her teacher with curiosity as she led her through the busy Konoha streets, arriving at the bath house. Raising a delicate brown eyebrow Sayuri fallowed her teacher into the building where they were greeted by an elderly woman.

"I'd like to have one of the bath houses reserved please." The elderly woman bowed once she received the money from Moriyo and began to lead the two to their own bath. Bowing once again the elder moved aside and left the two alone.

"A bath house? What do we need a bath for?" Sayuri asked incredulous. _This woman keeps getting weirder and weirder…First she's blabbing about my hair, then her giant sweet tooth, and now this? _She gasped as she was pushed into the room by Moriyo.

"Here!" She handed Sayuri a towel and turned to pick one for her own. "Change and then meet me inside the bath got it?" Moriyo asked as she quickly discarded her clothes and wrapping the towel around her body. "Don't just stare at me! Move it!" and with that she was gone.

Shifting her gaze back to the towel in hand Sayuri sighed and began to remove her shirt and fishnet. Looking down at her abdomen she saw no wound but she knew it was still there, her chakra was just keeping it sealed…for the time being. Shaking her head she went back to the task at hand and then made her way into the bath.

"About time!" Moriyo chastised hands crossed over her chest but that wasn't what grabbed Sayuri's attention. It was what she was doing.

"You can walk on water?"

Moriyo smiled. "Of course! Every ninja can, haven't you seen Scare Crow do it?" The older woman asked and Sayuri began to remember the fight between her sensei and Zabuza. "And this will be your first lesson. Your task is be able to control your chakra effectively enough to walk on water."

"So it's like tree climbing? Where I focus my chakra on my feet and balance on it?" Sayuri asked a bit confused.

"Not exactly." Sayuri tilted her head in confusion and Moriyo continued. "Water is not solid it's a liquid so it moves and therefore a steady flow of chakra is needed to be able to walk on it yes, but the difference is that because water it motile you will have to constantly adjust the amount of chakra you place on your feet. Too much, or too little will cause you to sink. Doing this exercise you should be able to get a hold on chakra control so that you will be able to effectively perform jutsu." She walked over to the edge and sat down dipping her foot it with a smirk. "Now if I were you, I'd be very careful about this…the water is really hot and you'll get burned."

Sayuri visibly paled. _Burned? _She looked at the water before her and gulped. Placing her hands into a single hand sign she took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing… _Focusing chakra onto her feet she cautiously took a step onto the water and then slowly placed her other foot on it only to have her feet sink a bit but not completely. She looked up at her sensei with a grin but doing that made her loose her focus and fall in completely with a splash.

"OW!" Sayuri yelp as she resurfaced and turned around when she heard Moriyo laugh.

"Not bad kid. Now try it again."

With a growl Sayuri moved back onto the edge and pulled herself up adjusting her towel once again, and focusing her chakra onto her feet, she stepped back into the water and slowly began to sink. Again she adjusted her chakra and pulled her feet back up towards the surface.

Once she was completely above the water Sayuri extend her arms out to her sides to balance herself. Letting out a small laugh she slowly began walking, consciously adjusting her chakra at the same time.

_She's doing good. _Moriyo thought as she watched her pupil take cautious steps towards the center of the bath. _Really good..._ She corrected until she felt the bath shake around them and some mumbling outside their bath. "What the-?"

Sayuri fell back in with a yelp and a loud splash "OW! That's HOT!" She screamed and began to once again drag herself out of hot water. "Sensei?" Sayuri began but was shushed by the woman who slowly made her way over to the other end of the bath.

"Someone's peeping!" Moriyo said after a couple of seconds and then narrowed her eyes at the small hole she found. Growling the woman bent down to look through it and gasped. "Giant frog…gray spiky hair...Jiraya?"

"Who's Jiraya?" Sayuri asked leaning over the older woman who kept looking through the hole.

"A giant old pervert that doesn't know when to quit…and from the looks of it he has a friend with him. Ugh! That old fart! He's still a kid you idiot!"

"Kid?" Sayuri echoed. "Can I take a look?"

Raising an eyebrow Moriyo shrugged and moved aside. Sayuri kneeled down and pressed her right cheek against the cool wood. Her light brown eye focused on the frog then the old man, and finally "Naruto?"

"You know the tiny perv?" Moriyo asked but received no response.

"I'm going to _kill_ him!" Sayuri said as she stood up and marched over to the entrance of the bath.

XXX

"Mann…That was strange." The blonde ninja said as he scratched the back of his head looking at the direction in which the old man went off to.

"**NARUTO!**"

"Huh?" said blonde turned around to see Sayuri coming out of the bath. "Oh hey Sayuri how's it going?" He waved but was promptly punched in response.

"YOU PERVERT!" Sayuri yelled as she graved him by the collar and began to shake him. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing peeping, you dumb blonde!" She demanded but said male was still stunned from the blow he'd received raising her hand to slap the blonde she stopped when her name was called.

"Now, now, Sayuri…I'm sure he didn't mean it." The young girl paused and turned to see Moriyo standing off to the side. Naruto peeked through one eye to see who had stopped his teammate from slapping the living daylights out of him.

"Whoah! Who's that Sayuri?" Naruto pointed at Moriyo a light blush tinting his face.

"I'm Moriyo, Sayuri's teacher for the time being, and you are?" She responded with a smile.

The boy quickly extracted himself from Sayuri's grasp and moved towards Moriyo. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki…the next Hoka—OW!" Naruto rubbed the top of his head and turned to a still angry Sayuri.

"Idiot!" She grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest look away with a sigh, causing Moriyo to laugh at the sight.

"Naruto Uzumaki...nice to meet you." The older woman smiled and he scratched his head a big grin on his face.

_Wow she's pretty! Probably as pretty as Sakura! _Naruto thought his blush returning.

"So you now Jiraya?" Moriyo asked looking at him with curiosity.

"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his daze. "You mean that old pervert?" Moriyo nodded and he huffed in frustration. "That old man knocked out my sensei but he said that he'd help me with my training. Did you see the giant frog he summoned? If he can do that then he must be something! Don't you think?" Azure eyes turned to Moriyo who nodded and smiled.

"I bet he is." She felt someone tug on her shirt and she turned to see Sayuri looking at her curiously.

"I'd like to continue our training, we only have one month and I need to become stronger."

Naruto turned his attention to Sayuri and he slung an arm over her shoulder. "Oh yeah! You're fighting that Hajime guy, right?" Sayuri looked up at him and nodded. "Don't worry you'll be beat him! I know it!" He grinned and gave the young girl a thumbs up, to which she smiled and have him a firm nod. "And when I beat that jerk Neji and Sasuke you'll get to fight me!"

Sayuri's eye's widened at the new information. "You're up against Neji?" She watched as the blonde nodded, a dark shadow crossing his normally bright eyes.

"Yeah…and after what he did to poor Hinata, I won't lose! Believe it!" He said punching the air at the same time loosing balance and causing Sayuri to fall along with him.

"Naruto you idiot!" Sayuri yelled and both Genin stared at each other for a second before bursting into a fit of laughter.

XXX

Konoha was slowly coming to a stop as the night started o roll in. Sayuri and Moriyo took to watching the villagers pass by from their spot at the small tea house.

"You have a very interesting friend." Moriyo said after a bit as she took a sip of her tea."Very…lively." she giggled and Sayuri laughed.

"He's my teammate." Sayuri said as she placed her cup back on the table.

Glancing over at Sayuri, Moriyo leaned forward. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Sayuri looked up at her teacher. "Why aren't you going to help me with genjutsu?"

Raising her eyebrows Moriyo leaned back, a small smile playing on her lips. "Chakra control_ is_ helping with your genjutsu."

"That's not what I mean! I already know how to dispel a genjutsu, what I want to know is how to make one!" The young girl said leaning forward.

"No can do, kid."

"What?" Sayuri said through gritted teeth.

Bringing herself at eye level with her student Moriyo began. "I said no. You're talent definitely does not lie in casting illusions."

"But I can-" Sayuri was quickly silenced as Moriyo raised one finger to her face.

"One, you can't even detect when you are in a genjutsu to begin with." She raised a second finger. "Two, although you have great chakra control casting illusions will be a waste of time for you since you're not used to them and would require too much of your time."

Sayuri clenched her teeth. "But that's exactly why I want to learn! It would help me!"

"You're wrong!" Moriyo said calmly crossing her hands over her chest. "I knew your mother pretty well, genjutsu was her weakness, no matter how good at chakra control she got she could not perform a single genjutsu without at least taking a full minute, during which time her opponent could gain the upper hand." The older woman narrowed her eyes. "Also she could only dispel the simplest of these illusions, anything more complicated, a product of the Sharingan for instance, would be impossible for her to break."

"What does all that have to do with me? My mother's weaknesses don't have to be mine as well."

"Well, she _is _your mother meaning that you have her genes, her weakness was in her genes. To be honest with you, it was rare for a member of the Mizuchi clan to be good at genjutsu. Besides haven't you noticed that whenever you're in a genjutsu you're practically helpless?" Sayuri began to retort. "Don't lie either I've read through your reports." And closed her mouth with a huff.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Sayuri asked exasperated.

"Well you have two options, you could try not going on solo missions, but assuming that you want to advance in rank that is almost impossible. So then we're left with option two." Moriyo glanced over to her pupil. "I can teach you to be good enough to detect a genjutsu user and take him or her down before they have a chance of getting to you, as well as being able to locate them while in an illusion. Remember that if you take down the caster, the illusion will disappear."

Sayuri blinked up at her teacher in amazement. "Really? You could teach me that?" And Moriyo smirked.

"Of course I can!" Suddenly things didn't seem too grim for Sayuri.

XXX

Three weeks later…

Sayuri glared over at her instructor who stood hands on hips with a smug look on her face. "You still couldn't find me." The young girl clenched her hands into fists. "Remember, this exercise is for you to use everything I thought you at once. It's not just about you locating me in a genjutsu; it's about attacking me as if I was your enemy using taijutsu and ninjutsu." _She's improving gradually…but it's not good enough! _

Bright orange stared into her students' dark and light brown eyes. "One scratch is all you need to make on me before I know that we've completed your training." The jounin said as she slid into a defensive stance. "Now let's try this again…You ready?" The young brunette straightened up and gave her a firm nod.

Quickly Moriyo leaped into the air weaving hand signs as Sayuri rushed over to her determined to bring her down.

**A.N.**

**Thank you so much for reading! Next is the actual Chunin exams :D I'm excited! Please review I like reading what you all have to say about my story, and if you have any constructive criticism that would be greatly appreciated. **

**Thank you! **


	21. The Missing Genin

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you!**

The Missing Genin 

"**Your mother and aunt died because they were ninja. When you're a ninja, you have enemies that want to kill you…and I…I couldn't stand it if they took you away too." Sayuri's brow furrowed at the sadness in her father's face and she reached up to touch his cheek.**

"**It's ok father. I'll stay with you forever." **

Eyes blinking open just as the sun was about to rise, Sayuri stayed in bed looking up at the ceiling in the room. "Father?" she whispered just as the sunlight began to engulf the once dark room.

XXX

"Have you still not found Sasuke or Sayuri yet?" The Hokage asked his body guard as he appeared behind him.

"We have a few ANBU teams looking for them, but no such luck." He bent down to whisper to the old man. "About the Uchiha…could Orochimaru already have…? If so then, finding him will be-" The ninja stopped as he noticed a man enter the balcony.

"I understand." The third whispered back before turning to their guest. "Oh! Well, well! Welcome Kazekage." He said happily as the head of the village hidden in the sand entered the room.

XXX

Naruto glanced over at Hajime who growled in exasperation. "Where is she?" he mumbled clenching his firsts.

"Welcome all to the Hidden Leaf Chunin Selection Exam!" The Hokage's voice roared across the stadium. "We will now start the main tournament matches between the ten participants who made it through the preliminaries! Please stay and watch until the end!"

"If it's ten, two seem to be missing." The Kazekage noted. The third turned to his fellow Kage warily before sitting down.

XXX

"There's something I'd like to tell you before the matches… Look at this." Their proctor said as he held up a piece of paper with their fights drawn.

Naruto, Temari, Shikamaru, and Hajime looked at the paper stunned. "There have been some minor changes to the tournament. Check once to see who you're fighting."

_I had a match against that creepy sound guy…Dosu…what the…?_ Hajime wondered narrowing his blue green eyes.

_Did the sound ninja quit? _Shikamaru wondered as he looked over the matches.

"Hey! Hey!" Naruto called out to the proctor hand raised.

"What?" he asked looking over at the blonde.

"Sasuke and Sayuri aren't here yet, what are you going to do?"

"If neither shows up by the time of their matches, they will lose by default."

Naruto looked away in thought. _That's strange…with the way he is Sasuke would be here even if it meant dragging his own body…and Sayuri is way to competitive to withdraw like this! She _has _to be here! _

XXX

Gaara looked down and grinned, this didn't go un-noticed by his teacher. _After telling him not to attract attention to himself he didn't kill him…did he?_ Baki wondered as he gulped.

XXX

"All right listen up! The arena is different but the rules are the same as the preliminaries, there are none. You fight until one of you dies or acknowledges defeat. But if I determine that the fight is over I'll step in and stop it, got that?" The proctor asked looking that the eight kids before him.

All the Genin looked at him, his only way of knowing that they understood. Nodding he continued. "The first fight is between Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Those two stay here the rest of you go to the waiting room."As the rest of the Genin left everyone in the arena became quiet.

"This will be good." Kiba smiled as Hinata worried.

"Against this guy, Naruto has no chance." Ino stated besides Sakura who looked at her teammate in concentration.

XXX

Neji smirked at Naruto. "You look like you have something to say."

Naruto glared and extended his hand in a fist. "I told you before…you're definitely going to lose." Neji's eyes flashed with the Byakugan.

"Now the first fight! Begin!" and with that the proctor left the arena.

XXX

"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto turned and began to blow kisses at the people who cheered him on all the while Shikamaru and Shino were completely stunned by his performance.

The Kazekage laughed as he listened to all the commotion. "They're quite restless aren't they?"

"Well, yes. It was an interesting match." The Hokage answered.

"Yes, it was. But I believe that it's the next matches that have them all riled up. For the experienced ninja as well as the feudal lords it's a match to see…a fight between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of the Sand. Also, that Lady Sayuri is fighting at all, considering how her father didn't want her to become a ninja in the first place." The Kazekage commented. "I'm sure they want to see just how strong the Uchiha and Marihasha clans really are."

The Hokage looked over the arena and sighed. "Where are they by the way?" the Kazekage asked.

"That's the thing. We still haven't found either of them." The Hokage's bodyguard leaned down to whisper.

XXX

"What are we waiting for?" Someone from the audience yelled.

"Yeah! Start the next fight!" Someone else added.

The proctor looked up into the audience. "Sheesh!" he exclaimed annoyed by them all.

XXX

"What's that guy doing?" Shikamaru asked. "Is he even coming for his match?"

"Confucius once said 'The wise do not approach danger' a wise decision perhaps?" Shino put in his own two cents as the noise around him began to escalade. Naruto turned to the redhead of the sand and glared at him.

"What are you talking about he's definitely going to come!" Naruto exclaimed.

Behind them Hajime ran a hand through his silver locks. "Have any of you seen Sayuri?" Naruto turned to him and nodded.

"The last time I saw her was a month ago."

"Well you're no help." Hajime muttered.

"What was that?" The blonde asked eyeing him.

"Nothing, nothing." Hajime answered as he turned his attention towards the arena. "What's going on?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru and Naruto turned back to arena leaning over the railing.

They watched as another ninja joined the new proctor and begin speaking with him. He nodded to the man before turning away.

"**Attention everyone!**" the proctor called out.

"The heck is going on?" Shikamaru whined leaning forward.

"**The contestants for the next two matches haven't arrived yet! Therefore we will pushed those two matches back and proceed with the next one.**"

XXX

In the audience Asuma and Kurenai were taken aback. "Just what are those two brats doing?" Asuma wondered all the while Kurenai looked at the new proctor with disbelief.

"It's for the best." Asuma turned to his companion with curiosity. "Saito's still not back from his mission, it wouldn't do for him to miss Lady Sayuri's match." Asuma turned back to the arena and nodded in agreement.

_That guy should have been back yesterday…What the hell is going on?_ He wondered eyes narrowing.

XXX

Naruto sighed in relief at the news. _Thank goodness… _

"Hey that means that my match got closer!" Shikamaru retorted.

"**And now the next match Kankuro and Shino Aburame! Come down!**" The proctor announced, once again catching the attention of the audience.

"Shoot…" Kankuro mumbled as his grip on the railing tightened. This however didn't go unknowticed by Hajime who eyed him suspiciously as he turned to the blonde haired girl and nodded as if reaching an agreement.

Kankuro turned to the arena and leaned forward. "**I forfeit!**"

"Huh?" Naruto and Shikamaru both turned to the sand ninja in surprise.

_The hell?_ Hajime wondered straightening up, and taking a good look at Kankuro. _Something's up here._

XXX

"What did that guy say?" Diachi asked turning to Kenji who visibly tensed. "Kenji-sensei?"

The jounin turned his attention to the balcony where the Hokage was, then looked over at the waiting area where the Genin were. Dark green eyes turned towards the audience and began to take note of the ANBU that were stationed at every staircase.

"Excuse me ladies." A pink and blonde haired girl turned to the man next to them as he smiled down at them. "You wouldn't mind taking care of my student here, would you?" he gestured to Diachi and they both nodded 'no' before he got up and made his way up the stairs.

Turning to Diachi, Sakura's eyes widened in recognition. "You're the guy that was paired off with Sayuri for the exams right!" Diachi nodded and Sakura took note of his arm that rested on a sling. _He went against his own teammate. _Remembering how Hajime had broken Diachi's arm and kicked him around mercilessly, she shuddered. "Hey…" Diachi cut her off by looking away in surprise as he watched the sand ninja land gracefully down on the arena.

XXX

"Looks like you're eager." Commented the proctor. "Shikamaru! Get down here!"

In the waiting area Shikamaru tensed. _What's she all excited about? I wish she'd just die! How come I'm getting my match switched up? Well I guess I can also forfeit and…_ The lazy ninja's thoughts were cut short as he was quickly shoved forward, curtsey of Naruto.

"All right Shikamaru go for it!" The blonde yelled enthusiastically.

XXX

"What is Shikamaru doing?" Ino whined from her spot next to Sakura. "**COME ON SHIKAMARU! GET UP!**" The blonde woman cheered for her teammate as Sakura and Diachi turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"That guy barely missed being struck by the sand girl. He doesn't even look like he wants to fight." Diachi commented.

"That's Shikamaru for you." Diachi turned his light brown eyes to the pink haired girl. "He's the laziest ninja out there." Diachi turned back to the match with a sweat drop.

_Laziest? _He thought as he spotted the Nara boy by a tree.

XXX

Two ninja jumped roof to roof around the village at a high speed. "Sayuri, I'm honestly getting tired of this wild goose chase!" Moriyo yelled out. "I did not spend a month training you for you to just run away like this!"

Sayuri ignored the jounin and kept making her way further and further away from the arena. "Did you hear me, brat?" Moriyo yelled reaching her limit.

"I told you already I'm not going to forfeit. I'm going to find Saito first!" Sayuri stated calmly as she turned to her instructor.

Moriyo huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Listen kid. Your match should be up by now. If you don't show up to it soon then-"

"They won't do that." Sayuri cut her off. "Naruto's, Sasuke's and my own matches are the most important ones there. I'm not saying this to be arrogant about it, but to be honest with you the feudal lords and experienced shinobi are here mainly to see those three."

Moriyo cocked her head to the side. "And why is that?"

"Because it'll be the first time in a while that the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Marihasha clans faced one another in the Chunin Exam."

"I suppose you're right. But why are you so bent on finding Saito?" Moriyo asked.

"Because he was supposed to get here yesterday, in time to see my match. Saito is always here for something important!"

"Maybe he's late. He'll be-"

"No!" Sayuri interrupted. "Saito is _never _late! He's always here on time; all of his missions are always finished on time!" She young girl played with the sleeve of her outfit. "Last night I dreamt about my father…Something's wrong! Something happened to Saito!"

"Just because you dream about your father doesn't mean that there is necessarily something wrong, Sayuri." The jounin said slowly as if talking to a two year old.

"I always dream about him whenever something goes wrong with the ANBU." Sayuri explained clenching her fists. "My father was the leader of the ANBU, it makes sense that whenever something goes wrong with it that I dream of my father doesn't it?"

Moriyo sighed and nodded. "Fine let's go. But this is the last place we're looking. If we don't find anything we're going to the arena…" she looked at Sayuri in the eye. "Understand?"

"Yes!"

XXX

"Looks like he's done doing whatever it was that he was doing." Diachi said catching both Sakura's and Ino's attention. Choji who had just joined the group kept on munching through his bag of chips.

The four watched as Temari opened her fan and performed her wind scythe jutsu. Suddenly a kunai was thrown at her and she leaped back to the area that she had marked previously as being the shadow manipulation's limit, only to find out that the jutsu stretched further.

XXX

"Very good. You saw through that." Shikamaru praised from his spot in the shadows.

"I see you were waiting for the sun to drop lower so that the shadow of the wall and yours would stretch further." Temari commented. "The closer to sunset. The larger the shadows grow."

The blonde sand ninja looked down at the shadow before her. _From the height of the sun and judging from the earlier attacks, my calculations say this should be the limit of his jutsu. _

"**TEMARI! FROM ABOVE!**" Her thoughts were cut short as she heard Kankuro yell out at her.

XXX

A small gasp came from Sayuri as she landed softly on the grass field.

"Oh my…" Moriyo said from behind her. "Is it…?" she asked as she looked down at the body that was face down before them.

Slowly Sayuri kneeled down besides the body and turned it. Her brown eyes widened before wondering over to the katana that was next to her. Picking it up she read the initials on its hilt.

"There you are!" Two ANBU said as they appeared behind Sayuri. "We've been looking all over for you two…" the ANBU trailed off as he looked down at the faceless body. "What the hell happened here?" he demanded.

His only response was a katana being thrown at him. Taking a look at it the two ANBU looked at its hilt and turned to the body. "Captain Saito!"

Sayuri stood up and turned to the ANBU. "Inform the Hokage immediately and get a medical unit to inspect his body." She whispered as she made her way Moriyo. Noticing that they had not moved she turned to them, usually warm eyes hard. "What are you waiting for? Now!" the young girl commanded.

"Y-Yes ma'am!" the two stood at attention before rushing off.

Moriyo eyed Sayuri as she walked past her. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to my match." Sayuri responded rather coldly. "Saito would have wanted me to."

"You…you don't-"

Sayuri turned to the Jounin, her eyes rimmed red from holding back tears. "There's nothing else to do."

Moriyo took one last look at the body before going after Sayuri.

XXX

"I can't believe you quit you idiot!" Naruto yelled at Shikamaru who ignored him.

"Whatever, let's just enjoy the next match." The Nara smirked at Naruto who brightened up.

"Yeah!" The blonde said enthusiastically. "But neither Sasuke nor Sayuri are here." Naruto mumbled and watched as the proctor took out a stop watch.

The yells from the crow escalated as they began to ask about the Uchiha and Marihasha.

"Those two have exactly three minutes left…otherwise it's a draw."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. _Where are they? _Naruto growled until Shikamaru poked his side.

"Look." He nodded towards the entrance, and the blonde smiled.

"Sayuri!" He yelled waving his hands in the air, the commotion in the arena died down somewhat.

_Finally! _Hajime thought as he straightened up. He looked over at the audience with a sigh. _Diachi would have been upset if she had been disqualified._

Upon hearing her name being called out the girl in question turned her gaze towards from the audience and looked straight ahead, spotting a brightly clad, blonde ninja. Naruto on the other hand stopped waving noticing the serious look on his teammates face as she came closer.

"Sayuri?" he wondered as the girl in question locked eyes with him.

"Sorry for the delay Genma. We had something very important to do first." Moriyo said as she nodded towards the proctor.

Eyeing her he nodded. "Nice to see you after so long Moriyo." The jounin tilted her head to the side and gave him a brief smile. "Now all we have to wait for the Uchiha." At that a large gust of wind caught their attention as the dust started to clear revealing Sasuke and Kakashi. "Nice of you two to finally join us."

Kakashi turned to the proctor and gave him an apologetic smile. He then turned to Moriyo and Sayuri who had turned to each other whispering. _Something's up…_He thought as he turned to Sasuke, who had his gaze focused on Sayuri.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Moriyo whispered.

"Yes. I'm sure…" Sayuri glanced up to where the Hokage was sitting. "Do you think he received the message?" Moriyo looked up at the Hokage before turning to Sayuri with a nod.

Turning to Genma, Sayuri glanced over to Sasuke and then Naruto and Shikamaru. "Are we disqualified?" she asked.

"Don't worry…both yours and Sasuke's matches were pushed towards the end. You two got here at the nick of time."

At this both Kakashi and Moriyo looked physically relieved.

Kakashi glanced over at Sasuke who was glaring at Gaara. "I have a proposition to make…if you don't mind." At this the six that were currently on the arena turned to the silver haired Jounin. "Since Sayuri did get here first, why not let her match go before Sasuke's?"

Both Sasuke and Sayuri turned to their teacher in shock. "I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind, and I think that you'd agree, wouldn't you Moriyo?"

Everyone turned to the woman in question. _You're up to something, Kakashi…but fine I'll bite. _"Yes…Actually I think that's a great idea."

Kakashi turned to Genma and smiled. "What do you say?" Looking at the two Jounin then turning to their students, he saw as Sasuke grunted and Sayuri stare curiously at the silver haired Jounin.

"Fine." Genma turned to the audience. "**Attention everyone! Due to a sudden agreement, the match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of the sand will be switched with that of Sayuri Marihasha and Hajime!**"

"Thank you Genma." Kakashi nodded in approval. He then turned to Sayuri and patted her head. "You're up…Make Saito proud." Sayuri looked up at Kakashi surprised. "I got the news…I'm sorry." Kakashi tilted his head towards Moriyo and both began to make their way off the battle field.

Sasuke approached Sayuri as everyone turned to leave. "You're hair's longer." He commented looking at her almost shoulder length hair.

"Yes…Moriyo sensei wouldn't let me cut it." She said after a couple of seconds. "You're hair grew too…new outfit?"

The Uchiha nodded and noted hers as well. Her usual purple shirt with the open right sleeve and long left a red fishnet underneath, along with a pair of black shorts were replaced with a sleeveless purple turtle neck like dress dark blue sleeves that hung off her shoulders, the right sleeve going down to her elbow while the left went a bit past her wrist, a dark red chest protector and black shorts underneath.

"Hey Sayuri!" Naruto called from behind Sasuke. "I don't know what happened, but…" Sayuri looked at her blonde teammate. "You better kick this guy's ass!" he said with a grin and thumbs up.

Sayuri looked over at Hajime who had now made his way down to the arena before turning to Naruto with a smile. "You got it!" she finally said giving him a small smile.

"Come on idiot lets go." Sasuke said gruffly as he pushed past Naruto. The blonde boy turned to follow the Uchiha out but stopped as Sasuke turned around smirking at Sayuri. "Remember you're up against me if when you win."

Sayuri blinked at him before giving Sasuke a firm nod. "Yeah…!"

"Allright!" Genma stepped between Sayuri and Hajime, both ninja staring at each other. One with a grin on his face the other with a small smile.

"Good afternoon, Sayuri." Sayuri nodded. "You had me worry there. For a while I thought that you wouldn't be able to make it."

Sayuri shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't miss this."

"**Begin!**" The proctor announced and moved out of the way.

**A.N. **

**Please review! :)**


	22. Teammate vs Teammate

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you!**

Teammate vs. Teammate

"All right Scare Crow, spill." Moriyo said once she and Kakashi were in a secluded hallway.

The masked jounin leaned against the wall arms crossed. "It's that Gaara kid…"

Moriyo tilted her head to the side. "You mean the freaky one with the dark circles around his eyes?" A bit surprised Kakashi turned to Moriyo.

"You noticed him?"

"Of course I noticed! How could I not!" The woman exclaimed. "I could feel his killing intent practically oozing out of him from the moment that Sayuri and I stepped into the arena."

With a small nod Kakashi looked over to where the exit was; the commotion from outside suddenly peaked. "He came looking for Sasuke…I think the sand is up to something more than just a friendly Chunin Examination."

"You think they want to start a war?" she asked, bright orange eyes incredulous.

"No…not a war…well at least I hope not." Kakashi watched as Moriyo nibbled on her thumb. "What is it?"

"It's just that…when I was training with Sayuri I could feel someone watching us closely…well not so much as us, more like Sayuri in particular. But for some reason no matter how hard I tried looking for a specific someone around the area, I could never find one."

Kakashi turned to look at the ceiling, remembering that when he had encountered Gaara he had felt the same. "The reason why I wanted Sayuri to go first was to see his reaction to her fight." Moriyo looked up at him in confusion as he continued. "If he was the one watching Sayuri train, we'll know by the end of the match."

XXX

Both Hajime and Sayuri locked eyes with one another neither inclining to do anything.

"I just have one thing to say." The silver haired boy started staring intently at the young frowning girl before him. "Wherever that pretty little head of yours is, it better start concentrating on this fight. You either give it your all or forfeit…" Sayuri was stunned at the seriousness of his tone. "…Understand that _Lady_ Sayuri?"

Sayuri blinked up at her teammate/opponent and smirked. "You're really annoying, you know that?" she finally responded.

Hajime shrugged a wry smile on his lips. "It's what I do best…Now shall we?"

Suddenly Hajime rushed at Sayuri with a series of kicks and punches all of which she swiftly avoided. He then proceeded to take out a kunai and swipe at her but Sayuri back flipped and landed gracefully next a hole in the arena.

Her attention was drawn to her right as she heard the sound of metal piercing air. Dropping to the ground, Sayuri rolled out of the way. Turning to her left she saw several kunai and shuriken stuck to the wall behind her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"You're a lousy shot." Sayuri pointed out, to which Hajime responded with a roll of his shoulder.

"I never really liked throwing things…I like things I can control." The silver haired teen responded.

"Like your katana…" Sayuri suggested as she watched Hajime place a hand on the hilt of the metal object.

Smirking green eyes locked onto her. "Exactly." And with that Hajime suddenly vanished before her eyes.

XXX

"**Sayuri!**" Naruto called out watching as his teammate was struck from the side. Sasuke narrowed his black eyes watching the scene unfold.

Sayuri landed with a thud on her right shoulder and continued to roll on her back. Activating his Sharingan he caught Hajime just as he jumped into the air, the tip of his katana down aiming at Sayuri's chest. Rolling to her left side Sayuri got nicked on her arm and before she could even proceed to stand up Hajime yanked her by the back of her dress and threw her across the arena. Her back connected with the wall and Sayuri slid down landing on her butt, a small trickle of blood running down her chin.

Suddenly Sasuke's attention was drawn over to his right where Gaara stood apparently focused on the match, but upon closer inspection he noticed how he seemed to shiver with anticipation a small half smile on his lips and a light gleam in his eyes. His view was quickly blocked by his blonde teammate who proceeded to lean over the railing in concern.

"**SAYURI! GET UP!**" Naruto yelled, his cerulean eyes narrowing down at the girl.

Shikamaru and Shino looked down at the fight from their spot to the left of Sasuke, both impressed by the speed that Hajime had shown.

XXX

"Did you see that?" Kakashi whispered over to Moriyo who nodded in response.

"He's blood thirsty…" she muttered under her breath, bright orange orbs on the redhead with the love tattoo on his forehead.

XXX

Sayuri winced as she lifted her head up. Everything hurt: her legs, her arms, her back, her head, even her _brain_! "Damn it!" she cursed under her breath as she struggled to get up. _He's so fast! What the hell has Kenji been teaching him?_

"Come now Sayuri…you barely even landed a hit on me." Hajime commented with a smile on his face.

_Arrogant bastard! _Sayuri thought as she struggled to stand. _I can barely feel my right arm…_She noted as she held it and tried to move her fingers.

"Fine then, if you won't come to me than I'll come to you!" Hajime sighed as he rushed at the girl once more.

_Here it comes…_Sayuri thought as she watched the teen get closer by the second. _Now! _Sayuri jumped and landed on the wall of the arena as Hajime slashed at the now empty space, his katana going in straight at the wall leaving a slash on it, causing some dust from the pavement to block his vision temporarily. Just as the dust cleared, Sayuri took out a kunai with her left hand and jumped down aiming it at his arm.

Quickly Hajime blocked the hit, but was taken aback as Sayuri flipped in the air using the blocked kunai for leverage and landed behind him. Just as he turned around Sayuri kicked him on the side of his face sending him flying across the field and into a tree.

Panting, Sayuri glared at the spot where Hajime landed noticing a log in the place of his body. "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Turning around she watched as Hajime proceeded to blow out the fireball aiming it at her person. Sayuri back flipped just out of reach from fireball that was thrown at her, that is until her back hit a tree.

XXX

"That does not look good." Someone hissed from behind Kakashi and Moriyo. The two turned around to see Kenji standing behind them. "What's up?"

"And here I was thinking you decided not to show up." Kakashi said with a smile under his mask.

"Were have you been?" Moriyo asked turning her eyes away from the match.

"I'm good, thank you. How are you?" Kenji said as he took a seat next to Moriyo. Both jounin looked at him expectantly, the dark haired male sighed. "No manners!" He whined. "…I was on my way to go looking for Saito after I noticed that he wasn't anywhere in the audience." His dark green eyes turned to see Hajime slowly walking over to Sayuri. "Imagine my surprise when an ANBU found me and told me that _the _captain of the ANBU was now dead."

Both Moriyo and Kakashi looked over at Kenji who was clutching the cloth of his pants. "We're sorry." Moriyo finally said, before turning to watch her students fight.

XXX

"Oh man! Sayuri's in trouble now." Ino said as she leaned forward to get a better look at the match. Next to her Choji silently agreed as he munched on his chips.

Biting her lip Sakura clutched her hands to her chest. "Hey, Diachi…" The brunette in question turned to Sakura whose jade green eyes were still focused on the match. "How strong is Hajime?"

Exhaling softly Diachi turned his gaze on his silver haired teammate. "He and I graduated top of our class…almost tying with Neji Hyuga as rookie of the year." Sakura's fist tightened as her worry increased. "Although you could say Hajime and I are on the same level…this guy has brute strength and knowledge over jutsu that I could only dream about."

Sakura turned her gaze over to the teen beside her in surprise. "He's a genius in his own right." Diachi finished his light brown eyes clashing with her jade green.

XXX

"Nowhere to run now..." Hajime smirked weaving through the hand signs. "Fire style: Fireba-" He was cut off by a stinging sensation on his shoulder and back. Eyes widened as he looked for the cause of the pain. _What the…?_

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Hajime stopped his hand on the senbon on his shoulder. "It could do more harm than good." He looked back at Sayuri who smiled up at him. Eyes widening he took a step back.

_That's not Sayuri…it's a clone!_ He growled.

"Hasn't Kenji thought you to never turn your back on an opponent?" Hajime tensed upon hearing a voice behind him, the clone in front of him disappearing with a puff of smoke. Slowly he turned around to see Sayuri sitting on the branch of a tree, holding her hands up in a single hand sign. "Earth style: Root Spears!"

Hajime watched as the two trees on opposite sides of the one Sayuri was currently sitting on top of, toppled over its roots raising high above her head quickly breaking apart from the tree and sharpening into the form of a spear. They held still in the high in air for a second before bombarding down on him. The silver haired ninja rushed to avoid the attack trying to get at the wall but was stopped as two more root spears landed in front of him blocking his way.

He turned around ready to make a run for the opposite direction but stopped stunned at what he saw. _She caged me in! _He thought as he tried to look for a way out.

Looking up he saw an opening and tried to make a run for it but when he tried to draw chakra to his feet to climb up the roots a sharp pain spread throughout his back and he landed back on the ground with a thud.

XXX

Kenji's eyes widened in shock upon seeing his student trapped by the jutsu. "How…?"

"You taught her that one…didn't you." Kakashi commented as he watched Sayuri jump down from her spot on the tree.

Moriyo glanced at Kakashi from the corner of her eye. "…Maybe…" she said with a small smirk.

XXX

Hajime looked at Sayuri through the small gaps of his cell. She was smirking up at him as he punched at the root that didn't even shake, noticing the soil reinforcing the spears in the ground. Growling he began to form the familiar seals of the Fireball Jutsu.

"I wouldn't waste my breath on that." Sayuri told him, her hands on her hips. "I took into consideration that you're more of a jutsu user, so I took the liberty of disrupting your chakra."

_Disrupting my…?_ His eyes widened as he realized what she meant. "The senbon…you used the dust that gathered when I rushed at you to place a clone in your place, while you hid in the shrubbery…" he watched as she tilted her head to a side. "…You made your clone grab my attention so that my back was to you and when you saw an opening, you attacked."

Sayuri's smirk turned into a smile. "Bright boy!" she praised. "Unfortunately you'll have to get those surgically removed…the way I placed them is almost as if you got a bad acupuncture treatment…" she shrugged.

Nodding he smiled at the young heiress. "Ah. You win."

Genma landed next to Sayuri and whistled as he took a look at her handy work. "**Winner, Sayuri Marihasha!**" At Genma's announcement the audience cheered.

Sayuri made a hand sign and the roots sank into the earth, leaving no trace of them ever being there in the first place, and releasing Hajime just as the medical team ran up to him in order to escort him to the infirmary.

XXX

"Sayuri won!" Naruto exclaimed happily before he jumped down from the waiting area. Coal black eyes watched as the blonde ran over to Sayuri taking her into a hug as he praised her happily.

"That guy doesn't know when to calm down." Shikamaru sighed as he leaned against the railing.

"Happiness is how one should express themselves after watching a friend win a battle." Shino commented as he stood, hands in pockets.

Sasuke grunted from his spot. The Uchiha took a glance at the redheaded sand ninja eyes narrowing as he saw a malicious look in his eyes. Averting his gaze back to the arena he saw as Naruto picked Sayuri up placing her on his shoulders, and how the young girl blushed awkwardly gripping his blonde hair.

XXX

"You won!" Naruto exclaimed as he paraded the girl around the arena.

"Naru…Naruto put me down!" Sayuri protested as she tugged at his blonde locks. Naruto ignored her and twirled.

"Huh?" The blonde stopped as he saw Sasuke land in front of him.

"Put her down idiot! You're causing a scene." The Uchiha said, black eyes narrowing.

"Aww come on Sasuke! Sayuri won, you should celebrate!" Naruto whined.

Black orbs fixed themselves on a slightly blushing Sayuri who averted his gaze. "Now…" he ordered. Muttering under his breath Naruto moved to place the eleven year old on the ground.

"All right you two." Naruto and Sayuri turned to Genma who stood with his arms across his chest. "Time to clear the stage. It's Sasuke's turn now."

Naruto's grin turned into a straight line as he turned to his teammate serious. _That's right…Sasuke's up against Gaara._ Blue eyes wondered over to the waiting area. "Don't lose to that guy…Ok?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah…"

"And Sasuke!" Sayuri turned to Naruto. "I want to fight you too!"

Sasuke smirked and nodded. "Yeah."

Sayuri watched as the two stared at each other before clearing her throat. "Are you two having your moment?" Naruto turned to Sayuri sputtering while Sasuke glared.

"W-what are you talking about?" Naruto shouted as he stomped like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"Come on!" She pulled the blonde by the collar leading him away from Sasuke who watched the two walk away. However Sayuri stopped midway and turned to Sasuke. "Good luck Uchiha." She smiled and proceeded to drag Naruto away.

"All right Gaara get down here!" Genma called out as the two other Genin cleared the arena.

**A.N.**

**Thank you all who reviewed the story. I'm actually in my finals week at school so I'll probably not post anything for another week or so. But please review! Your reviews keep me motivated to write more. :)**


	23. War!

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you!**

War!

"Hurry up Sayuri!" Naruto urged as she ran over to the nest set of stairs, the brunette following close behind.

_This guy…where does he get the energy from? _Sayuri wondered as she slowly made her way up the stairs. Reaching the next level Naruto turned back to Sayuri about to open his mouth but something else caught his attention.

"What is it?" the young girl asked as she cached up to her blonde friend. Standing on her to get a better look.

Two ninja stood in the hallway intercepting Gaara. "Stop." One of them spoke and Gaara obliged. "These Chunin Exams are great for betting. Many people came here just for that…"

"So…" the other continued. "You'll go out there and lose this fight. Got it kid?"

Naruto and Sayuri watched as the two ninja screamed in pain, both frozen in their spot. All of the sudden the screams stopped and there was blood everywhere as Gaara continued walking as if nothing happened turning the corner and going in between Sayuri and Naruto, who could only stare at the scene before them in shock.

Stopping in between them Gaara inclined his head slightly towards Sayuri who did not dare to look at him. A small amused sound escaped his lips before he continued on his merry way.

The two collapsed only when they were sure that the redhead had reached the field, both shaking from the scare they just got. "That could have been us…" Sayuri whispered watching her hands shake, next to her Naruto gulped.

The two turned around when they heard someone step behind them. "Shikamaru!" Naruto exclaimed. "Did you see…" he stopped himself as he noticed the look on his face.

"Yeah…" the lazy ninja nodded. "I've never seen a guy who could kill with no hesitation like that…" he added turning to look at the bloodied hall.

"I think…Sasuke's in trouble." Sayuri muttered clutching the skirt of her outfit. At this Naruto's eyes widened.

XXX

"Hey Gai!" Sakura and Ino turned around surprised to see Kakashi. Behind him stood Moriyo, whose arms were crossed over her chest, next to her stood Kenji who nodded at the girls.

"Ladies!" the dark haired jounin gave the two a curt nod.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Kakashi waved over at the two girls as if just now noticing them. "You must have been worried, sorry for not contacting you at all." Kakashi said with a smile.

_Yeah…Sakura must be pissed…_Ino thought as she looked at her glowering friend.

"That doesn't matter anymore…" Sakura responded as she stared down at the field from her spot. _I can't see it from here. _The pink haired girl thought. "Kakashi sensei…" the silver haired jounin turned to his student. "On Sasuke's neck there was a mark, right? Is that…"

_Mark? _Moriyo turned her orange eyes to the rosette girl. _She knows about it? _

"Don't worry." Kakashi answered his student. Sakura turned to Kakashi a smile of relief on her face.

Moriyo and Kakashi glanced around the arena spotting cloaked figures within the crowd. "Eight ANBU for this huge arena. Only two small teams, what's the Hokage thinking?" Kakashi whispered.

"They're probably needed on the outside to gather information." Gai responded.

"More will show up gradually." Kenji added. "I was informed by a squad leader. He said that as soon as they know something they'll come."

Moriyo narrowed her eyes down at the fight, carefully watching as Gaara held his head and began whispering before calming down. _Creepy kid…What do you want with Sayuri…?_ The dark haired woman wondered.

XXX

"Remember when we met him at the hospital?" Shikamaru asked Naruto as he took a seat, a stair level above the two. "When he said…" he trailed off catching Sayuri's attention. "That he'd kill us." Naruto nodded. "But he didn't do it. It was a perfect chance for him. He didn't even acknowledge our presence."

Sayuri looked back at the hall way her brows furrowed in confusion. _But he looked at me…_ Sayuri thought as she remembered feeling his eyes on her.

"That's because we aren't enough." Naruto responded.

"Right now the only one who can make him feel what he wants is…" Shikamaru trailed off.

"Sasuke!" both Naruto and Sayuri finished for him.

XXX

From the audience everyone watched as Sasuke rushed at Gaara throwing shuriken and bombarding him with a series of kicks. Each of which were quickly blocked by Gaara's sand clone, that is until he picked up his speed landing a punch on the redheaded sand ninja.

Standing up straight one hand behind his back the other outstretched, a stance that both Lee and Gai recognized as their own, Sasuke smirked. "So that's the sand armor, huh?" Gaara sat up to look at the Uchiha. "Come on." He flicked his arm tauntingly.

Gaara made his sand shoot up at him but Sasuke evaded the attack and once again continued to rush at him, looking like a trail of black to the audience, until he stopped and kicked Gaara on the side of the face.

Moriyo's eyes widened as she saw the Uchiha run in circles around the sand ninja. _His speed is…incredible! _Orange eyes turned to Kakashi. _He's a damn good teacher…I'll give him that._

"Kakashi how did you…?" Gai began to ask the masked jounin.

"Sasuke had copied Lee's taijutsu with the Sharingan, so I had him use Lee's taijutsu for our training. It was a lot of work of course…"

Raising an eyebrow Moriyo looked back at the match just in time to see Gaara make a dome around himself.

XXX

"I'm going to find Kakashi sensei!" Naruto suddenly said as he stood up.

"What are you planning to do?" Shikamaru asked.

Sayuri watched as he bolted up the stairs and down the hallway. "I'll stop this fight!" the blonde answered.

"That guy…such a drag…Huh?" he turned to look at Sayuri who was holding her right arm. "Shouldn't you get it checked?" Light brown and dark brown eyes turned to the Nara who looked taken aback. _And here I thought that her eyes were just one solid color…she actually has heterochromia._

"It's nothing serious." She answered as she rose to her feet and went up the stairs. "You coming?" Giving her a firm nod he followed.

XXX

"**He's not normal!**" Sayuri heard Naruto say as she and Shikamaru cached up to him.

"Naruto what are you talking about?" Ino wondered looking at the blonde as if he had lost his mind.

"He lives to kill others! At this rate Sasuke will die!" Naruto yelled trying to get Kakashi to understand.

Sayuri watched Kakashi sigh. "Sensei?" she questioned.

"Well don't worry. Sasuke and I weren't late for nothing."

They all turned back to the match below and saw as Sasuke crouched down after attempting to break Gaara's shield.

"Look we don't have time for this!" Naruto tried again this time Kakashi didn't even turn this time.

"Be quiet and watch him…" Naruto stopped and turned to the match warily. "You'll be surprised." They heard him say as Sasuke quickly climbed up the wall and formed a hand seal.

Besides Shikamaru, Sayuri gasped. Turning to the younger girl he noticed in shock as her eyes flashed a golden yellow on her left and a light orange on her right. _What the…?_

"No way is that…?" Gai turned to Kakashi who smiled.

"_That's _what you've been teaching him?" Kenji asked the silver haired jounin. Moriyo looked on intently.

"The reason I trained Sasuke is because he's the same type as me."

_His hand is…emitting lightning! _Sayuri thought as she stared at her teammate completely engrossed. Next to her Shikamaru was studying her as if she were a new puzzle.

_Just a minute ago her eyes were light and dark brown…now their light orange and yellow? _Shikamaru thought and chanced a look at the match just as Sasuke rushed down the wall. _And this only happened when she saw Sasuke's jutsu…_

"Incredible…you can see the chakra in his hand. What's going on?" Sakura asked as she looked on in astonishment. They all watched as Sasuke picked up his speed and rushed over to the sand ninja.

"What is that?" Sayuri's attention was drawn momentarily to the blonde and Shikamaru saw as her eyes reverted back to their normal color almost instantly.

_How is that possible? _He asked himself. _If I remember correctly my dad mentioned something about the Marihasha clan's ability to control the elements, consequentially they can read chakra types and because of that their eye color would change in accordance to their opponents own chakra nature, but…he also said that the heiress of the clan was the only one unable to do that. _Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. _So then how is she…?_

"The name of the jutsu is Chidori…also known as Raikari." Moriyo stated.

"Rai…kari?" Sakura asked, to which Moriyo nodded. "Kakashi's only original jutsu, modeled after Kaminari's Body Current."

"It's called Raikari because Kakashi cut a bolt of lightning with that technique." Gai added. Ino, Sakura, and Choji looked up at Kakashi with a mix of disbelief and amazement. "Its true name is Chidori. Known for its stabbing speed that pushes the limits of the human body, and the huge amount of chakra that is focused in one arm."

"Well…it's beyond my level of understanding but… what an amazing technique!" Sakura said happily.

Naruto growled lightly as he leaned closer. _Heh…that guy was worried about Sasuke and now he's jealous of him._ Shikamaru thought smirking as he looked at Naruto with amusement.

"What's…going on?" Sayuri wondered as she saw Sasuke try to pull his arm back.

"**BLOOD…MY BLOOD!**" Everyone suddenly heard Gaara scream. Sayuri gasped as she saw Sasuke finally pull his arm back with what looked like a claw clinging to him. Sasuke shook it off and then activating his Sharingan he froze.

"Huh?" Moriyo looked up. "Kakashi!"

"It's a genjutsu!" He announced as Gai, Kenji, and he began to form a seal quickly followed by Moriyo herself. _Kai…Release!_

XXX

From their spot on the balcony both kages turned to each other. "Shall we?" The Kazekage finally spoke as his guards released a smoke bomb catching the attention of those jounin and ANBU that had broken the illusion.

XXX

"The Hokage!" Moriyo exclaimed as she pointed towards the balcony. Three ANBU rushed to the scene bypassing two sand ninja.

Sayuri looked over to the ANBU, not noticing as Naruto and Shikamaru fell around her. She watched as the sand ninja that the ANBU had attacked turned into four sound ninja and quickly formed a barrier around the Kazekage and the Hokage. Quickly averting her gaze back to the fighting area she noticed as the proctor stood between Sasuke and the sand siblings.

"Sasu…ke…?" _Why is my body so heavy…? _The young brunette wondered as she felt herself fall forward. Just as she was about to hit the ground someone rushed in from behind her and caught her.

"Gotcha!"

XXX

Just outside the gates of the village a large rumbling sound could be heard, effectively stopping all the commotion from the villagers. Suddenly a large three headed snake emerged followed promptly by a large number of shinobi who jumped down into the village just as the snake smashed through the main gate.

"Attention there is a large three headed snake and about one hundred or so sand ninja invading the village!" one of the ninja managed to get the message in to a telecom before he had to run to safety to avoid being smashed by the giant summoning.

XXX

Moriyo, Kenji, Kakashi, and Gai turned as one of the ANBU caught Sayuri right before she collided with the cement floor. "That wouldn't have been good." He said.

"Who the hell are you?" Kenji demanded. "You're not one of the ANBU! Release Lady Sayuri at once!"

The ANBU chuckled and propped Sayuri against his hip. "No can do. I'm afraid Lady Sayuri is an important piece for this…war."

Growling Moriyo took a step forward. "You asshole! Put her down!"

The ANBU's shoulders began to shake as a slow and steady laugh came from behind his mask. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and took out a kunai.

"We're not playing…Kabuto…" he practically spat the name as he lowered his stance.

The ANBU suddenly stopped. "If I were you I'd worry about keeping your other students safe." He nodded behind him.

Turning the jounin watched as Sasuke ran after the escaping sand siblings, then noticing a sound ninja was rushing at Sakura, kunai in hand. The teen crouched down as Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of her, the sound ninja's blood in his hands.

"Get back here!" Moriyo yelled catching Kakashi's attention. Turning around he watched as Kabuto jumped over his fellow jounin and landed on an empty seat. Then proceeded to jumping over the balcony and down to the battle area.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called at the girl who looked up. "I'm assigning you an A rank mission."

"Huh?" the rosette girl looked up at her teacher in confusion. "I knew that teaching you genjutsu during the Genin survival test would come in handy…I need you to release the genjutsu on Naruto and Shikamaru and then I need you to track down Sasuke." He sliced his finger with his kunai. "I'll have Pakkun lead you to him. Once you've located him I want you to take him to a secure location…Understand?" He asked as he performed the summoning jutsu, a small ninja dog appearing.

"Y-yes!" she said and quickly dropped down to ground to crawl over to Naruto.

Kakashi turned back to the arena eyes widening in shock. "**Sayuri!**" he shouted as he watched Kabuto hand the girl over to a sound ninja.

Moriyo, Kenji and Gai turned away from their fights as the sound nin made off with the girl. "Damn it!" Kenji cursed and threw a punch at his opponent who slumped over just as he turned to go after them another sound ninja appeared.

"They're like roaches!" Moriyo exclaimed as she kicked one on the side sending him flying towards the wall, then turned on the ball of her foot and punched another in the stomach.

"Moriyo!" Kakashi called out as another sound ninja appeared beside her and punched her jaw.

Turning to him, orange eyes blazing she graved him by the neck and flung him at two other sound ninja that were making their way over to Kakashi. Rushing to them she took out two kunai and slashed their throats. "That hurt!" she yelled at them kicking them off to the side.

A sand ninja landed with a thud at her feet and two more were thrown at either side of her. "Moriyo!" Kenji called out standing back to back with Gai. "Go after Lady Sayuri! We can't let them have her…if they kill her…"

"I know, I know!" Moriyo waved him off as she jumped up towards the roof of the arena.

"Oh no you don't!" some said from behind her. Moriyo turned just in time to block a kick. Flipping over she skidded to the ground of the arena. "You're not going anywhere!" she narrowed her eyes at the sand siblings instructor.

XXX

_Where…am I? _Sayuri thought feeling a small stinging sensation on the back of her head. "You idiot! Don't drop her like that! If she gets hurt she'll wake up from the genjutsu!"

"It doesn't matter we've got the brat. Did you tell them?"

"Yeah."

"All right we can commence phase two. Taking the girl hostage for Lord Orochimaru." There was a sound of something crumbling in the back ground and Sayuri felt herself being picked up by the waist. "Let's go!"

_O-Orochimaru? _Sayuri thought as she slowly began to regain consciousness. _Hostage? _Her eyes slowly began to blink open, keeping her body limp she saw that whoever it was that had her had taken her to the woods. _Sound ninja! _Sayuri thought noticing their attire.

"What do you think Lord Orochimaru wants with the fire princess?" the one who was carrying her asked the other.

A pause. "Who knows…maybe experiment with her bloodline…Or use her as a bargaining chip against the village to get the Uchiha…maybe even use her as his next vessel…you never really know with Lord Orochimaru."

"Hmm… your right." Suddenly the man felt a strange stinging on his arm, stopping he looked at it only to find that the girl he was carrying had been emitting her chakra in the form of lightning. With a grunt he let her go.

The two sound ninja watched as the girl landed on her feet and stood. "What was this about experimenting with me?" she asked her eyes cold and calculating.

"See, I told you not to drop her like that!" The other sound ninja chastised. "Now we'll have to take care of her again." He said with a sigh as he jumped and landed on a branch in front of her.

Sayuri looked at him with a glare. _It's their fault Saito's dead! _She thought as she slid into a defensive stance. The sound ninja came at her with a serried of kicks. Sayuri jumped down from the tree she was on and began to run leading the two men into a clearing. _This looks good enough. _

Behind her the two men laughed. "Nowhere left to run princess…" one of them said.

"I'm not running." She answered as she held her hand in one seal. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" taking a deep breath she blew out fire, but not the regular fireball that other ninja produce. As she blew the fire that she produced turned from red to white and spiraled at the two sound ninja who had no chance to run when they were completely engulfed by the white flame.

Slowly it died down leaving nothing but a black crater in its place. "Lady Sayuri!" She heard her name being called by two ANBU that were making their way towards her.

"Are you alright?" The one with a monkey mask asked as he looked over the panting girl.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" she asked brushing away the ANBU's hands.

The second ANBU with the bird mask answered. "It's the Sand they teamed up with Sound to take over Konoha. Lord Hokage is currently fighting Orochimaru, the jounin are currently occupied with protecting the village and the Chunin and other Genin are helping with evacuation. "

Sayuri looked up at the sky noticing as several birds flew away from the village, but instead of going north they went west as another flock of birds came from the north blocking their way.

Eyeing the crater monkey turned to the young girl, "Sasuke Uchiha is also in pursuit of Gaara. Your teammates Naruto and Sakura are going after him…along with Shikamaru Nara and Shino Aburame."

"Go and help with any evacuation and make sure that the sand ninja don't get any further than they already did. One of you please inform Kakashi sensei and Moriyo sensei that I'm ok and tell him that I'll be going after Sasuke too."

The two ANBU stared at the girl in bewilderment, annoyed she turned to them. "What?" she asked.

"It's just that…Lady Sayuri never seemed to be interested in ordering us around before…" monkey answered. "Forgive me if that offends you."

"Saito's dead…he was the head of the ANBU." The two noticed as her eyes went from indifferent to sad. "I will only assume my role as head of the organization until we find a suitable replacement." She continued looking them in the eye. "So for the time being please follow orders and stay safe."

Both monkey and bird regarded the young girl and nodded. "Yes ma'am!" the two bowed and disappeared back into the village.

Turning her head to the sky she watched as more birds flew south and then made a slight turn west to avoid the village._ I'm going to guess that wherever those birds are coming from is where the Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are._ Jumping onto a tree branch Sayuri began to make her way over to them. _Please be ok! _

**Please Review :)**


	24. To Win and Lose

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you!**

To Win and Lose 

Baki grunted as he was thrown back by Moriyo's kick. "Earth style: Earth Darts!" suddenly the ground that Baki had landed on started shooting at him.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm " The jutsu managed to send the darts in the opposite direction nailing them to the wall. _Where the hell did she go! _Baki thought as he looked around the area.

"Over here!" the man looked up to see Moriyo falling from the sky her arm pulled back ready to punch him. Quickly he jumped back as Moriyo reached the empty space he smirked that was until someone kicked his jaw from the side.

"You shouldn't let your guard down so easily." Kakashi stated as he glared at the sand ninja.

XXX

Naruto landed on a tree branch with a loud thud, shaking as he struggled to get up. "Damn...it…" he muttered as his hands and feet failed him.

In front of him a fused Gaara stood with a wicked smile on his face, his tail raised as he prepared himself for another sand missile. Laughing rather like a deranged man he squatted. "Ready for another one?" the blonde boy could only stare at the demon Gaara who released the sand at him.

Closing his eyes, Naruto waited for the pain that never came. Opening one eye he stared in shock at the dome of air that surrounded him.

"Hold on Naruto…" He turned his head to see Sayuri standing behind him, hands formed in a seal. Squatting down she picked the blonde up with her left arm holding her right in the seal position.

"It's the princess!" Pakkun exclaimed from beside Sasuke.

_What! _The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, recognizing the Wind Barrier Jutsu. _Sayuri!_

_Got to time this right…_She thought before releasing the jutsu and jumping up and out of the way. Azure eyes watched as the branch the two had been on only a couple of seconds ago was no more.

Setting the boy down Sayuri got one good look at their opponent. "Is that…Gaara?" she asked, the only response she got was a nod of Naruto's head. She turned back to the sand ninja who tilted his head curiously at her.

Gaara smiled up at her. "Pretty set of eyes, you've got there…Sayuri." The young girl pulled back slightly in fear, while below them Sasuke watched as Gaara crouched. "I'd like nothing more than… to see the life seep out of them…"

"No!" The Uchiha shouted in a panic. "It's me you want!" Sasuke called out but he was ignored as the red head leaped up and over to Sayuri who was frozen in fear. "**SAYURI!**" Sasuke yelled and tried to stand up but his body wouldn't cooperate.

Laughing maniacally Gaara stretched out his sand arm shooting it at the young girl who just barely managed to react fast enough to jump of the way. Using his arm as leverage he swung himself over to Sayuri, who was on a branch below him, completely ignoring Naruto as he flinched back in shock.

Brown eyes widened as she moved to jump out of the way being careful to avoid the branch Sasuke was on and landing on another tree far away from both Naruto and the Uchiha. Gaara landed on the branch she was previously on and turned to her.

"Why are you avoiding me!" he shouted out to her. "I just want to get a good look at those pretty eyes of yours!" he said as he released a huge gust of air with the use of his tail.

Raising her arms to cover her head she tried to make out Gaara's body as he rushed at her. She let out a small yelp as she fell back from the force of him landing on her branch.

"**Gaara!**" Sasuke tried again but the red head didn't even spare him a glance having only eyes for Sayuri. His eyes widened at the sight before him. Sayuri was up against the tree, nails digging into the bark, her bottom lip tremble lightly, and her dark and light brown eyes wide in fear.

"YES!" Gaara exclaimed. "YES!" he repeated inching closer to the girl. "That's what I want to see! All those emotions, flash through your eyes before you experience death!"

_He's…He's insane! _Sayuri thought in a panic, pressing her back further against the tree. _If I don't do something now he'll kill me! _

"**Get away from her!**" Naruto shouted as he launched himself at the sand ninja, kunai in hand only to be knocked back.

"Fire style: Fire Missile!" Turning around Gaara's eyes widened as Sayuri spit balls of white flame at him. Jumping back he evaded them all. "Water Style: Water Dragon!" She tried again, this time standing up as, slowly, water began to accumulate around her taking the shape of a dragon. Suddenly it roared, both Naruto and Sasuke looked on with awe as it lashed out at Gaara, pursuing him until it finally collided with his retreating back.

"She can…use the Water Dragon Jutsu?" Naruto exclaimed taken by surprise.

"She's…amazing!" Sasuke whispered while Pakkun gave a short nod.

Panting Sayuri leaped at him two kunai in hand, she threw them at either of side of Gaara and made a single hand sign. Gaara looked at the kunai noticing that they had explosive paper around them cried out in pain as the explosion pushed him further back.

Someone moaned softly beside her and Sayuri turned, eyes widening at who it was. "Sakura!" she exclaimed momentarily distracted.

"**Sayuri!**" both Sasuke and Naruto cried out catching the young girl's attention. Suddenly she felt the wind knocked out of her as she was graved and thrown against the opposite tree by Gaara's sand arm. Sliding down the young Marihasha fell off the side colliding with another branch below.

Sayuri struggled to breath from both impacts, opening her eyes slightly she could barely make out the outline of two black sandals. Beside her, her hands twitched as she tried to move and felt something smooth and soft slide under her and slowly wrap itself around her neck. Gasping for air she felt herself being picked up into the air wincing in pain.

"Look at me…" she heard Gaara command, but she didn't respond. The sand around her neck tightened. "Look at me!" A small yelp of pain escaped Sayuri's lips as she squinted at the deranged ninja. Chuckling he raised his deformed arm to caress her cheek.

"**Let her go!**" Naruto ordered attempting to stand up but failing.

"Pain looks beautiful on your eyes…" Gaara murmured the sand tightening by a small fraction around the young girls neck, causing her to wince. "More…more pain!" Sayuri cried out as he graved her right arm and squeezed. "It hurts from before…in your match." He told her with a smile increasing the pressure on her arm. He took pleasure in watching as the young girl gasped for air and yelped from the pressure that he put on her injured arm.

From their spots all Naruto and Sasuke could do was watch helplessly as their teammate was tortured to death. Growling Naruto pulled himself up to his feet, eyes blazing, Sasuke grunted as he slowly willed his arms to push him up as they heard Sayuri's soft whimpers echo through the forest.

"I said**…Let her go!**" Naruto screamed as he created a couple of clones that threw themselves onto Gaara.

The sand ninja turned and pushed the clones away, Sasuke using this chance to throw himself at Sayuri effectively releasing her from his sand and leaping up onto a higher tree branch. Distracted Gaara turned his back on Naruto who snuck up behind him.

"**ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!**" The blonde yelled as he stuck a kunai under Gaara's tail. The red head smacked him away in Sasuke's and Sayuri's direction before a loud explosion engulfed him. Naruto was quickly caught by Sasuke who carried him up to where Sayuri was laying down.

"Sasuke!" the blonde grunted as he watched the Uchiha make his way over to Sayuri carefully picking her up.

"You only managed one blow…" the he responded. "…Shape up…will you. I can't save you this time like I did in the wave country…you idiot…"

Naruto growled and waved his fist at the dark haired boy. "Shut up will you!"

"Hey Naruto…" the blonde stopped fuming and looked at Sasuke seriously. "Here…" he handed him an unconscious Sayuri. "Her…and Sakura…you have to save them no matter what…" the Uchiha started as he slowly pulled back looking down at the girl that now rested in the blondes arms. "Once you freed Sakura, get her and Sayuri as far away from here as possible…"

"Sasuke…"

"I'll hold him off for as long as I can…" He turned away from him and glared at Gaara. "Never again…I already lost everything once before…I don't ever want to watch those dear to me die before my eyes again!"

_Those dear to me…?_ The blonde turned his azure eyes to the unconscious girl in his arms. "I get it…" he said as he remembered how Sayuri had stepped in to protect him from Gaara, how Sasuke protected him at the Wave country and then how Sakura had tried to protect Sasuke.

"I thought that he was strong because he fought only for himself…" Naruto started as he stood up. "But I was wrong his strength isn't real…strength doesn't come from fighting alone…real strength comes when you fight for someone you care about." Sasuke turned to him and Naruto handed the girl back to the Uchiha before making a single hand sign.

Suddenly Naruto's chakra spiked and began to surround him. Grunting Sasuke pulled back, attempting to protect Sayuri from the wind, which suddenly surrounded Naruto, with his body. _What the…! What's with the enormous amount of chakra he's gathering! Is this really Naruto! _ The Uchiha wondered watching him summon thousands of clones.

"Naruto…you…" The dark haired ninja tried but failed to make a sentence as he looked at the amount of clones he produced.

"Sasuke…you protect Sakura and Sayuri…I'll handle it from here." The blonde then turned to his clones raising his hand in the air. "**ALL RIGHT EVERYONE LET'S GO!**" He yelled. "**JUMP!**"

_This couldn't possibly be Naruto…_Sasuke thought as he watched the clones all attack at once ending with the Naruto Barrage, and then continue to come at him with more kicks and punches, until Gaara had enough and cried out in annoyance.

Sasuke looked up at the sky as a giant raccoon like being towered over the forest. "What the…what the hell is that?" He thought as he tightened his grip on Sayuri. Coal black eyes turned to the blonde and widened in surprise. "**NARUTO!**" He shouted.

_Shit I up all my chakra with the Shadow Clones…_He thought as he saw himself being surrounded by sand. Azure eyes looked back at Sakura then at Sasuke and Sayuri, and they narrowed in determination as the sand completely sealed him off in a cocoon.

"Damn!" Sasuke cursed as he fell back, "My body…it won't move."

"**SAND COFFIN!**" The being said and Sasuke watched as the sand began to tighten around Naruto's body but quickly burst open as a giant frog replaced the spot where Naruto once stood.

"What the…!" Sasuke muttered then felt the girl shift in his arms. "Sayuri…" he whispered as deep black met warm light and dark brown.

"Are you…" Sayuri swallowed to clench her dry throat. "…are you ok?" she winced at the sound of her voice.

Sasuke looked the girl over for the first time and gritted his teeth. Her neck was covered in red marks from the sand, her cheeks were scratched and a bruise was forming on her right one. Her arms adorned scratches and bruises from her previous fight with Hajime and Gaara.

"The hell are you asking me for! You're worse than I am!" he finally responded earning him a small smile.

"I'm glad you're ok…Sasuke." She whispered her hand slowly squeezing around his. The Uchiha stiffened before slowly returning the gesture. He watched as she turned her head and saw Naruto on the giant frog. "I guess it's safe to say that Naruto's ok too…" a small smile plaid on her lips as she said this.

"Yes…" the Uchiha responded as he gazed up at the battle that suddenly started between the raccoon and the frog.

XXX

Kenji was pushed back by one of the sound ninja as the two clashed kunai. With a low growl the dark haired man graved hold of the ninja's neck and threw him over the balcony, jumping down after him and knocking the ninja out with a hit to the back of his head.

His green eyes took in Kakashi and Moriyo as the two stood back to back with Kabuto facing Kakashi and Baki facing Moriyo. Suddenly an ANBU wearing a monkey mask landed in between the ensuing fight and him causing the five to stop and look over at the ANBU.

"Kakashi, Moriyo…" the ANBU called. "Lady Sayuri has been found, she told me to inform you that she is ok and that she will be heading out to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha."

"What!" Baki growled.

Moriyo smirked at the fuming Baki and took the chance to punch him in the stomach. The male coughed out just as the female jounin took hold of his vest and threw him over at Kabuto's direction.

"It would seem that you overestimated those ninja of yours." Moriyo said with a smirk as she straightened up.

Kabuto sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Their attention was brought over to the roof as they watched the barrier start to crumble. The four sound ninja that had created the barrier took Orochimaru and proceeded to escape with two ANBU fast on their trail until one shot a web like tread at them effectively pinning them back to the roof.

"Kakashi!" Gai called as he landed next to the silver haired man. "Those sound ninja are getting away. Should we go after them?"

"No Gai." The jounin answered.

"Oh…so when you don't have enough information you don't like to move around much…out of fear of falling into the enemy's trap." Kakashi turned to glare at Kabuto.

Behind Kakashi and Gai, Moriyo clenched her hands. _We can't do anything…_ Bright orange eyes glared at the two men.

"What do we do?" Baki whispered over to Kabuto.

"We retreat." The young man answered with a smile.

"Now you're going to run?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes…I wouldn't want you copying all my jutsu…that wouldn't do me any good." He smiled at Kakashi making a hand sing. "Your eye may not be as good as that of an Uchiha but…a Sharingan is a Sharingan." And with that said the two ninja vanished.

XXX

"Sa-Sasuke…" Sayuri tugged at his shirt. The Uchiha looked away from the fight after seeing Naruto and Gaara fall. "Sakura." She said nodding over to where the girl was just as the sand around her was almost completely gone.

Quickly propping Sayuri up against the tree he jumped over to snatch the girl as she began to fall. He then proceeded to make his way back up to where Sayuri was, laying the rosette girl at her feet. His coal black eyes turned to Sayuri who had a pained expression on her face as she looked at her fellow konoichi.

"Watch over them." Sasuke ordered Pakkun before jumping off in Naruto's direction.

"Hey-!" the pooch called but received no response. "What am I supposed to do?" he wondered before looking from Sakura to Sayuri. "Hey kid…you alright?"

Sayuri glanced over at the dog giving him a small smile. "I'll survive."

XXX

The jounin gathered around their fallen Hokage at the roof of the arena. The two ANBU from before knelt down checking over his pulse, the one wearing a white cloak looked up and shook his head, confirming what all of them there already knew.

Moriyo placed a hand over her mouth and looked down mournfully. Kakashi looked over at the jounin and placed an arm around her in a comforting gesture as she leaned into him.

"He's gone." She whispered.

XXX

Two days had passed since the invasion from the sand to the leaf. It was cloudy and gray, the village streets were empty. Its people had gone to pay their respects to the dead.

_No sun…_Dark and light brown eyes focused on the darkening sky, a small frown on the face of the owner of those unique eyes. She looked forward, staring intently on the picture of the village's dead Hokage. Next to her Konohamaru buried his head on her stomach, careful not to move her right arm as it was on a sling.

One by one the ninja and villagers that had gathered walked up to the shrine where the Hokage's picture was and placed a single flower before it. It soon came to be their turn, placing her left hand on the child's back she made smooth circles to calm him down.

"Come Konohamaru…" the boy sniffled but followed the young girl, clinging to her black funeral dress. Holding two flowers the young boy and girl bowed. _You were a great Hokage._ Sayuri thought mournfully as the boy placed the two flowers on top of the rest. The sky above them t shined from a flash of lightning and then suddenly it started to rain.

_Good bye Sarutobi sensei…_Sayuri thought as she let some of her own tears roll down her cheeks as the rain slowly let up.

**Please review :)**


	25. Running a Village

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you!**

Running a Village

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'HE WON'T TAKE IT'!" Sayuri exclaimed slamming her left hand on the table as she glared at the two elders.

Behind her Kenji sighed and placed a hand on the young girls' shoulders. "Calm down Sayuri…Exerting yourself too much is not good for you injuries."

"He's Jiraiya!" the young girl threw her hands high above her head in exasperation. "Lord Hokage's former student!" Sayuri murmured as she rubbed her head. "Damn it! The man is the most suitable replacement there is!" the young girl flopped down on the chair burying her face in her hands.

"We couldn't agree more, Lady Sayuri…" Koharu said as she folded her hands. "But Jiraya said that he knows of someone better suited for the position."

Sayuri looked up from her slump and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who might that be?"

"Her name is Tsunade." Homura said as he placed a file on the desk.

The two elders watched as she took the file and scanned trough it. "Lady Tsunade?" she asked as she looked at the two pointedly. "But no one has seen her in years! Is this another ploy for him to run away again!"

Homura shook his head. "No, Lady Sayuri. He said that he'll find her…and that he'd like to request a companion."

"A Companion?" Sayuri echoed.

"Yes. He'd like to take Naruto Uzumaki with him…he says he's been training him and wishes to continue."

_Lady Sayuri's teammate? _Kenji wondered as he eyed the girl carefully.

Sayuri looked down at the picture in the file. _She's the first Hokage's granddaughter and the third was her sensei in her younger years…_Sayuri bit her lip. _He wants to take Naruto with him too…_With a sigh Sayuri closed the file. "Fine. Let him go and tell him that he can take Naruto with him." The two elders bowed and turned to leave the office.

Looking up at Kenji she sighed. "What's next?"

"Well…you have a meeting with the construction crew at two and a meeting with the academy teachers at four. At six you have another meeting with the clan leaders… that'll take about two or three hours."

"So am I done here?" she narrowed her eyes when Kenji shook his head.

"No…you have a meeting with the jounin in a couple of min-" He was cut off as Sayuri banged her head against the table.

"When will all these meetings end!" Kenji watched the young girl whine.

"Sayuri…as head of the ANBU you must assume your responsibility as temporary leader of the village." Kenji stated as he patted Sayuri's back.

"I know! And that is why I can't wait until tomorrow so that I can be done with this! All I have to do is select a replacement and that'll be that." Sitting back she sighed. "All right…so are they coming here or do I go to them?"

"You go to them…there is a room reserved especially for these meetings…Follow me."

XXX

The jounin all entered the meeting room and took their seats then turned their attention to the front of the room only to gape at the sight before them.

_Sayuri…? _Kakashi wondered._ She still hasn't found a replacement?_ The young girl looked flushed as she waited for all the jounin to quiet down and take their seats.

"Ok so...um…" she glanced up at Kenji who stood behind her.

Kneeling down he whispered in her ear. "The missions…"

"Oh right! The missions! For the time being all jounin are to stay in the village to help with the reconstruction of the destroyed portion of Konoha…You will however resume your regular mission assignments next week…Any questions?" Suddenly all the jounin began speaking at once.

"How many missions will we get?"

"Um, well-" the young girl turned to answer but was quickly cut off.

"How about our Genin teams? Are we going to be assigned missions with them?"

"Genin…I uh-"

"One of my Genin is still at the hospital will I get a replacement?"

"Wait Genin are allowed to be on missions again!"

"How are the missions going to be distributed?"

The talking escalated as Sayuri looked back and forth trying to figure how to answer each question. _I hate my life! _She whined as she looked at the room full of curious jounin.

XXX

"Oh thank heaven that's over!" Sayuri exclaimed as she made her way up to the roof top of the academy stretching her arms high above her head. "Huh?" she was taken by surprise by Sasuke who was sitting on the stairs glaring intently at the empty space before him. Suddenly the boy flung a kunai at the pavement where it stuck with a soft clang.

"Hey…" she started as she placed a hand on his shoulder only to have it gripped at by a glaring Uchiha. She winced and looked at the teen with shock. "Sasuke! Let go…you're hurting me!" she said as she tried to shake his arm off.

As if snapping out of a trance he looked at her with slight surprise then at his hand before pulling back as if he had been burned. He looked down at his hand in disbelief then turned to Sayuri who was rubbing her injured wrist.

"I'm sorry…" Sayuri looked up at the Uchiha and nodded.

"It's fine…don't worry about it." Coal black eyes moved from her face to her arm, finally noticing the bandages she donned on the right side of her body.

"**Pain looks beautiful on your eyes…" Gaara murmured the sand tightening by a small fraction around the young girls neck, causing her to wince. "More…more pain!" Sayuri cried out as he graved her right arm and squeezed. "It hurts from before…in your match." He told her with a smile increasing the pressure on her arm.**

Gritting his teeth he glared down at his hand._ Damn it! How could I be so careless! _He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Sayuri stood looking up at him with a curious face. "Hey…are you feeling ok? We can…talk about it if you…" She trailed off as he looked down at her, his expression unreadable. Finally she felt her cheeks warm and she was sure she was turning red as a tomato so she pulled away.

Sasuke watched as she moved to play with her sleeve. "I-I mean i-if you want!" Her eyes widened. _Why the heck am I stuttering! I sound like one of his blabbering fan girls!_ She thought in disgust. "But you don't have to! Forget I-" she was cut off as he pulled her against his chest and all she could do was stand frozen in shock.

The two stood in silence. "Sasuke…?" Sayuri began shifting slightly but the Uchiha tightened his hold. Again she tried to move but again he only tightened his hold.

"Stop moving!"He growled and at this Sayuri stilled and let the teen hold on to her for as long as he wished.

_I don't want her to get hurt again…_ Sasuke momentarily stiffened at that though. _I have to become stronger! _The Uchiha lightly tightened his grip on her coming into terms with the fact that he cared about the young Marihasha heiress.

Their small moment was cut short as a light flapping caught his attention and he pulled back. "That's Kakashi's." he murmured.

"Oh!" he looked back to see Sayuri take a piece of paper from a small dove. "Moriyo sensei says to meet her at the dango shop."

Sasuke took the slip of paper from the hawk and read it. "Kakashi wants to meet there too." The two stared at each other curiously before nodding and jumping off the roof.

XXX

The silver haired jounin leaned against the wall of the shop while his dark haired companion leaned against the wall of the shop across from him quietly eating a stick of dango while holding another in her other hand. Glancing up Kakashi noticed Kurenai and Asuma quietly chatting as they made their way over.

"Hey you two…You guys look good together. Are you on a date?" the silver haired jounin asked.

Kurenai stiffened and blushed. "Idiot! I came here to get some dango for Anko!"

Beside her Asuma chuckled. "What about you two?" he asked. "What are the two of you waiting together for? Are _you_ on a date?"

At this Moriyo frowned. "No… the two of us can barely get along, much less be on a date together…" was her answer. She then gave Kurenai a coy smile. "But if you're not on a date with Asuma…_I _wouldn't mind taking him off your hands." The Kurenai turned to glare at her while Asuma blushed.

Kakashi eyed the two women, before turning to the smoking male. "We're actually here waiting for our students."

"Kakashi…" the jounin turned to his pupil, as he made his way over to him with Sayuri at his side.

"Oh hey Sasuke!" the jounin waved. Behind him two cloaked figures that were drinking tea glanced up.

"Oh! Sayuri!" Moriyo smiled and beckoned her over. "Here I got you this." She said as she handed a stick of dango to the young girl.

"Thank you sensei." Sayuri smiled, and Moriyo gave her a curt nod.

"This is unusual…you're never on time." Sasuke commented as he turned away from Sayuri and to Kakashi.

"Ah! Well only on certain occasions." His instructor answered as he scratched the back of his head.

Suddenly something caught the boys' attention and he looked over at the table where the two customers used to be sitting at.

"I was planning on buying you some sweets" Kakashi turning to the boy.

Sasuke scoffed. "I don't like sweets."

Kakashi looked at Kurenai and Asuma who nodded in understanding, before going off catching both Sayuri and Sasuke by surprise.

"Where'd they go?" Sayuri wondered out loud.

"Oh don't worry about them…they're probably going on a mission." Her instructor dismissed with a wave of her hand.

Sayuri turned to Moriyo with a raised eyebrow. "But I said that no one will be on missions for a week…"

Moriyo looked down at Sayuri in surprise and laughed. "Oh! My bad…well maybe they're going on a date!"

_Nice save…_Kakashi sweat dropped as he stared at Moriyo.

XXX

"Well that was weird…" Sayuri finally said as the two walked down Konoha's crowded streets. The Uchiha nodded in answer, hands in pockets as he followed.

Suddenly his teammate stopped and turned to him eyes wide. "I forgot! I need to give you something!" He raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head as he watched her search frantically on her person.

_What is it about her that all of a sudden I'm getting the urge to protect? _Sasuke wondered not liking the feelings he was starting to develop around the girl. Each time he was around her his stomach would feel as if it was in a giant knot, and he could never seem to hold a conversation with her either. Not like he did on a regular basis any way…but that was it! He actually wanted to know what was going on in that childish little head of hers.

"Darn it! I must have forgotten it at the office!" she finally said with a sigh.

"Sayuri!" The two turned to see Kenji jump from the roof and land before them. "Your meeting with the construction crew is about to begin."

"What!" the girl exclaimed in surprise. "But that's not until…two…" she trailed off as she looked up at the sky. "Damn it!" she cursed.

"Language, Sayuri!" Kenji scolded.

"Yeah…yeah…" she waved him off then turned to Sasuke. "I'll give it to you later." and with that she was off. Sasuke, for his part, stared after her in bewilderment before he shrugged in confusion and turned on his heel to head over to the training field.

XXX

Sayuri held a stack of folders in her hands. "…And here are the two folders holding information on all the ANBU captains…you have to go over these before choosing the new head of the organization." The young girl looked at the stack of manila folders and dropped her head.

"Kill me now…" she whined but was turned around by Kenji and pushed out the door.

"Nonsense!" He said. "Now, go and give this message to Kakashi will you?" Kenji asked as he handed a slip of paper to Sayuri as he ushered her out the door.

"I thought I was a temporary leader, not a temporary messenger!" Sayuri retorted as she turned back to the door closing in her face.

"Great! Just great!" she mumbled as she walked out of the ANBU head quarters with a stack of folders in her arms. "I guess I could just go drop off the message first, then take these folders to my room, take a nap, go to the meeting with the teachers and read over the information after the clan meeting." She planned as she walked through the streets.

"Sayuri!" she looked up at the sound of her name. Looking over her shoulder she watched Sasuke run at her. Raising an eyebrow she turned completely around to face him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Have you seen Naruto?" the Uchiha asked in mild panic.

"Uh…no. Actually I think he left to go with Jiraya a couple of hours ago."

"Jiraya?" he echoed.

"Yes…"

"What does he look like?"

"Umm…He's tall, long spiky white hair…um caries a scroll on his back. I authorized them to head out a while ago." She watched as Sasuke gritted his teeth I frustration.

"What's going on?" She asked but the teen ignored her and ran off. "Hey!" grumbling she turned back in the direction to Kakashi's apartment.

XXX

Moriyo looked over at the sunglass wearing jounin, who sat on the only chair in the room. "Tell again me _how_ you got to become a jounin?"She scolded with a frown.

"Sorry Moriyo…I didn't know…" he answered his head bowed. "It's just that I was shocked to find that Itachi was here and that he was after Naruto…and well I didn't bother checking to see who was here."

"That doesn't matter anymore." Gai finally said. "We have to get Sasuke back before he starts a fight with his brother…it couldn't possibly end well."

Suddenly a small clattering sound came from behind the apartment door. Going over to Kurenai swung the door open revealing a stack of folders and papers scrawled around the floor.

"Oh no…" Moriyo rubbed her temples in irritation. "Sayuri…"

XXX

Yes, Sayuri knew better than to eavesdrop but she couldn't help it. Her sensei's room was filled with jounin and if they saw her they'd stop their conversation and make sure that she had left before continuing, it didn't even matter if she was the temporary leader. So of course being the curious one that she was she stood behind the door and started to listen in on their conversation.

However what she heard was nothing good, and at the mention of Itachi, Naruto, Sasuke, and of course who could forget Gai's 'it couldn't possibly end well' she dropped the folders that she held in her arms and was now currently making her way towards the main gate.

Two ninja stood by the gate looking at each other in bewilderment, Sayuri immediately recognized them as two of the Chunin Exam proctors.

"Did you guys see Sasuke?"

"Uh yeah…" Izumo answered first and scratched the back of his head.

"Crap!" she cursed and rushed out into the forest.

"Hey! What's going on!" Kotetsu called after the girl but received no answer.

Beside him Izumo scoffed. "Genin…"

_I think they went to the next small village over…_Sayuri thought as she sped through the trees. Suddenly a dull sharp pain came from her abdomen and she stopped. _I haven't finished healing but with some luck, hopefully I won't get into any fights. _

The brunette began to rush through the forest once again. _Don't do anything stupid Sasuke! _

**A.N**

**Ok so please review! OR leave constructive criticism! :)**

**Do not just say that the story is dumb…if you're going to do that then at least bother to put your username up instead of hiding behind and 'Anonymous' title…****Better yet if you have nothing nice to say DON'T COMMENT AT ALL!**** Any comments that are RUDE in any way and that are only meant to put me down will be promptly ****removed****. **

**Thank you. **


	26. The Brother

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

The Brother

_Oh my… _Sayuri stood on a hill overlooking the small village. _It seriously grew from the last time I was here._ Her eye twitched as she looked over all the buildings. _Well, at least with this I'll know that Sasuke hasn't found them either…I still have time! _Sayuri thought as she headed down the village running past various shops until she saw one inn.

"Excuse me!" She called ringing the bell until it was snatched away from her. Looking up she smiled at the old lady and cleared her throat. "Did you by any chance see a boy about this tall, with spiky dark hair, and dark eyes?" The old woman frowned as she looked at Sayuri, who held an arm a bit past her head, and rubbed her chin.

"Hmm…I don't think so."

"Are you sure? He has a red and white fan symbol on his back…" the old woman shook her head. "He has a frown on his face…"

"Oh!" the old woman snapped her fingers. "That young man that looked way too serious came here asking for a blonde kid and an old man…I believe I saw his run that way." She pointed her finger further into town. Sayuri bowed and headed in the direction that she was directed to.

XXX

Naruto stood at his door frozen at the sight of a tall, cloaked, dark haired man with the Sharingan.

"Come out of the room…" he instructed and Naruto reluctantly did as he was asked, but not before gulping in fear first.

_This guy…isn't normal! _The blonde thought as he slowly stepped out of the safety of his hotel room to stand directly in front of this man and his blue, shark like, companion.

"Itachi…wouldn't it be better if I cut off a leg or an arm? We wouldn't like it if he ran off, now."

At this Naruto took a step back, his cerulean eyes wide at the comment. _What? What's going on?_ The blonde wondered, watching as the shark man reached for the hilt of the giant sword he carried.

"It's been a while…hasn't it Sasuke." Itachi spoke catching both Naruto's and his companion's attention.

"Itachi Uchiha…" Naruto turned back to look at the tall dark haired male in shock.

"Well, well, well…Today's a special day." The blue man said. "It's the second time I see another Sharingan."

_Uchiha?_ His eyes shifted back and forth between his teammates and the man. _He's Sasuke's brother?_

XXX

_Come on!_ _How many inns can there be in this place?_ Sayuri thought as she left the fifth inn receiving the same answer that she had gotten when she asked the old lady. _At this rate Sasuke will find them before me! _She huffed and crossed her arms. _And just what would you have done if you got to him first? _ The thought came suddenly catching the young brunette by surprise.

"Force him?" she wondered out loud then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ha! Like that would work…Sasuke has had it in for his brother for a while now."

Suddenly a loud explosion coming down the road caught the attention of all the villagers. Some even stepping out of the stores in wonder of what had happened, only to gasp and gape at the giant hole that appeared on the side of an in.

_Crap…Sasuke!_ Sayuri thought as she rushed to the hotel.

The clerk ran out along with several other male costumers. All were looking up at the building murmuring to each other in surprise. As Sayuri stopped behind the large crowd the smoke cleared and she saw four silhouettes, concentrating on the chakra she was able to distinguish Naruto's and Sasuke's. Alarmed she pushed herself forward until an arm caught her.

"Let me go!" Sayuri said turning to clerk who held her arm.

"Miss, it isn't a good idea to go up there. Those are ninja fighting in that building. You'll only get hurt."

"I' m a ninja too! See?" She pointed at her leaf head band. "Now let me go! My friends are up there!" she pulled her arm free and ran towards the building despite the warnings that the clerk yelled out after her.

She ran up the stairs and through the hallway, stopping only when she reached out for a corner to her right and swung herself around only to meet two crimson red eyes with coma like marks that circled the pupil.

_Is that the Sharingan…?_ She asked herself not able to look away even with the knowledge that the man before her could cast a genjutsu on her at any moment...if she wasn't in one already.

She slowly looked at the man's face and she let out a small gasp in surprise. _He looks like…Sasuke but…then not so much like him…he seems more familiar to me than that, like I known him from somewhere…_ she thought not able to tear her eyes of him. The man before her watched her curiously while all she could do was to stare in awe.

Sasuke watched as his brother's attention was solely on Sayuri and panic took over him. "NO! Stay away from her!" he called out to Itachi attempting to get up but failing, then turning to the object of his older brothers fascination he yelled "Sayuri, **RUN**!"

It wasn't until she heard her name called when she turned her attention to Sasuke who lay on the ground staring at her with…was that fear? _That's never good._

"Sasuke…!" she took a step forward but stopped when she saw Itachi move. Her eyes darted to him and saw coal eyes staring back at her for a second before turning Sharingan red.

Itachi moved closer until he was directly in front of her. She stared up at him, unsure on whether to run or fight.

"**Itachi don't!**" Sasuke called out to his brother.

"Sayuri, get out of here **now!**" Naruto yelled at her.

She turned towards her two teammates. Sasuke, who was on the ground unable to stand, and Naruto, who was corned by a tall blue colored man.

She turned to glare at Itachi taking out a kunai "Get away from my friends!" she said before swiping at Itachi who dodged each strike she tried to make with ease before slamming her against the wall.

Grip tightening on her kunai she moved to impale him with it but Itachi was too quick and slammed her hand against the wall making her drop the silver item and yelp in pain. Glaring at the Uchiha, she swung herself up kicked him in the shoulder, sending him back and swooped down to kick his chin, but he cough her ankle and swung her against the wall again.

"Lightning style, Lightning Whip!" she swung her hand at him, small strands on lightning coming out of the tips of her fingers and striking Itachi.

He slid back then disappeared to her side aiming a punch at her but she blocked it and attempted to kick his head but to no avail. Pushing the leg back he graved her by the collar and shoved her against the wall activating his Sharingan.

"**SAYURI!**" Both Naruto and Sasuke yell out. Naruto tried to go to her aid but was stopped by Kisame. Sasuke got up ignoring the pain and rushed at Itachi, who turned and side kicked his little brother back.

Itachi leaned closer to Sayuri who glared at him trying to break free from his grip. Sharingan activated, Itachi watched as her eyes began to drop, but Sayuri struggled to keep herself from falling into the illusion. He looked at her a hint of amazement in his eyes before he smirked and leaned in a bit more. "You're at your limit, Lady Sayuri…just give in."

She gasped lightly then saw Sasuke rushing at Itachi again. "Sasuke don't…" she tried to yell but her request came out as a whisper. With a sigh Itachi punched Sasuke in the stomach and then kick him back.

"Sasuke…!" Sayuri watched her teammate hit the wall, in somewhat of a haze. Steeling herself to try remain conscious she attempted to punch Itachi while his head was turned but he caught her wrist a small glint of amusement flashed on his eyes, at the sheer determination to stay in the real world that Sayuri had.

He put his lips against her ear and she froze felling like she had experienced something similar to this before "You're quite the stubborn one…aren't you, Lady Sayuri." Itachi whispered before pulling back he activated his Sharingan once again.

Sayuri couldn't help but stare at the spinning comma like dots in his blood red eyes. Slowly she began to feel light as if she was floating. Her vision suddenly clouded and she blinked trying to clear it up but found that it was getting harder and harder to open her eyelids with each blink she took.

She heard Naruto shout in the background and her eyes shifted momentarily to him, spotting Jiraya and his frog in between the blonde and the blue man. She looked over at Sasuke who hissed as he lifted up his head to glare at Itachi, she saw his mouth move but she heard nothing…everything was moving in slow motion to her and there was absolutely no sound besides Itachi's steady breathing.

"You won't be able to fight it much longer…you always were susceptible to illusions."

_Why can I only hear his voice? Why is it so clear? What's going on? Who is he? What am I doing…? _Slowly the world before her was not more. Tilting his head to the side, Itachi looked over the unconscious girl.

"Sayuri!" Naruto called but received no response. "Sa-"

"She can't hear you." Jiraya informed the blonde in a serious tone as he glared at the cloaked man.

Naruto glanced at Sayuri then glared at Itachi. "What the hell did you do to her?" he demanded.

_She's lost in an illusion…_ He thought, and then his eyes shifted over to his student. _So they really were going to go through with it…_

His attention was brought back over to Itachi as the Marihasha heiress fell to the ground and landing on her side, her brown hair slightly obscuring her face. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and attempted to move but his body wouldn't cooperate. _Why…? _He thought as he looked at Sayuri.

"Now I believe we have orders to follow through for the Akastsuki." Itachi said as he turned to the white haired man.

"You won't be getting Naruto." Jiraya stated as he made his frog summoning disappear.

"And why is that?" Itachi asked as he made his way over to his companion, not even sparing a second glance at his brother.

"Because you two are dying by my hand…right here and now!" Itachi clapped his hands together but was stopped by Sasuke as he sat up.

"Don't!" the younger Uchiha yelled. "He's mine!"

"I have no interest in fighting you at the moment." Itachi said his back still turned to Sasuke.

_Revenge huh…_Jiraya thought as he put his arms down as he watched the younger Uchiha stand up.

"But Sasuke!" Naruto started but stopped when Jiraya placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him." Naruto's blue eyes widened in surprise and turned to watch as Itachi turned to his brother, and punched him in the stomach, then proceeded to elbow him in the back then punch him on the side of the face and the beating continued.

_Why…after all this time…_Sasuke gasped as he was kicked up against the wall. _Is there still a huge gap between us?_

"No mercy…" Kisame silently chuckled while all Naruto and Jiraya could do was stand and watch.

Sasuke was held to the wall by his throat as Itachi leaned in closer to him, a smirk on his lips. "You don't have enough hate." Sasuke's black eyes widened at this before he was knocked out by another punch to the stomach.

Having finally had enough, Naruto clenched his hands. "**Let him go!**" He yelled as he rushed at him. Behind the blonde Jiraya quickly wove through a series of hand signs, stopping Naruto in his tracks as he looked around him in shock.

"Summoning: Toad Mouth Trap." Jiraya looked up from his kneeling position. "Looks like you're in my toad's stomach…Itachi…Kisame."

Itachi looked around him and let go of Sasuke as he was being absorbed by the pink flesh. He stepped back as Sayuri too was absorbed and then turned to the old man.

"I hope you two enjoy being food for Iwagama!" Kisame's and Itachi's attention was drawn over to Jiraya, both looking rather alarmed.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, stay still!" The blonde turned to the sage. "It's just my jutsu."

Itachi turned to his partner. "Kisame…Come!" he ordered. The blue man pulled his sword out of the sticky stomach with a curse before running over to the Uchiha.

"No one gets away without me knowing!" Jiraya said a small grin on his face.

Kisame turned to see as the flesh started to contract and then shoot at them. His attention was brought back to Itachi.

"That flesh is pretty fast. At this rate-" he was caught off by Itachi who had his eyes closed.

From their spot Jiraya looked up alarmed and then ran past the blonde ignoring his calls. Turning the corner his eyes widened at what he saw; a hole leading to the outside with black fire surrounding it.

"They're gone!" Naruto exclaimed as he caught up to his teacher. The blonde wondered over to the hole and observed the black flame.

"Don't touch it, Naruto!" said boy pulled his hand back in surprise. He watched as Jiraya laid down a scroll and began to write over it. "All right…Sealing Jutsu!" Naruto stepped back as suddenly the black fire began to be absorbed by the scroll, which Jiraya rolled up quickly and tied tightly with some rope.

"Well now…everything's ok." Jiraya said clapping his hands. Naruto turned to see Sasuke begin to be brought back out and Sayuri being pushed up by the stomachs flesh.

"Hey!" Naruto called out going up to Sasuke and sitting him up against the wall just as the jutsu wore off. He looked over Sasuke and narrowed his eyes at his unconscious form.

"It's not him I would be worried about." Blue eyes turned to Jiraya who walked over to Sayuri and turned her over, stepping back he looked down.

"What's…what's wrong with her?" Naruto asked touching her cheek in concern looking at her slightly open eyes that looked lost.

Jiraya was about to answer but was cut off by a kunai embedding itself to the wall opposite him. "**Dynamic Entry!**"

"Gai?" Jiraya asked turning to the man in the green jumpsuit just before he was hit by his flying side kick.

The sound of running footsteps caught their attention accompanied by a small gasp. "Gai! You idiot!"

_It's Sayuri's sensei!_ Naruto thought as he looked at Moriyo who rushed over to Jiraya.

"Are you alright, Lord Jiraya?" she asked as she helped the man sit up. "Next time listen to me!" she yelled at Gai. "I had an _actual _mirror we could've used, you-" she froze from her rant and twitched. "Lord Jiraya…what are you doing?"

Naruto and Gai watched as the old man laughed with his hand on Moriyo's butt. Suddenly she turned around and punched him in the jaw, before she stood up and crossed her arms. "You old pervert!" Her orange eyes turned to the unconscious bodies and she knelt down before them.

"What happened?" she asked as she looked over Sasuke then Sayuri.

"They got into a fight with Itachi." Jiraya answered as he stuffed paper in his nose to stop the bleeding from both Gai's kick and Moriyo's punch.

Moriyo's eyes narrowed as she checked Sayuri. "Gai, we need to get them to the hospital. Sasuke's writs and ribs are fractured, and Sayuri seems to be in a genjutsu…I don't think I can break this one."

"I don't think the doctors over there can either." Jiraya said as he stood, and dusted himself off. "It's Itachi's, knowing him…that genjutsu he cast on her is not something one can break easily."

"What?" Naruto turned to Jiraya. "Sayuri and Sasuke will be ok…right?" he looked from Moriyo to Jiraya, it was the white haired man that finally answered.

"Sasuke, yes...Sayuri…is a whole other matter."

"Right then!" Gai said as he moved his back facing Sasuke while Moriyo sat him on the green spandex wearing man. When she was sure that Sasuke was secured, Moriyo moved to pick up Sayuri.

"Kakashi was also placed in a genjutsu by Itachi…" Naruto and Jiraya looked at Moriyo. "He's in bed rest until he can regain his senses…"

"What? Kakashi sensei?" Moriyo gave Naruto a small nod of confirmation.

"When students are injured…well in this case I guess what's injured is Lady Sayuri's mind…Medical care specialists should be around in case this continues to happen…don't you think?" Gai asked Jiraya who nodded in response.

"That's actually who we're searching for." The sage answered.

Moriyo raised an eyebrow. "That's the person Sayuri granted you permission to go find?"

"Ah!" Jiraya nodded. "She's one of the legendary three…more suitable for the position of Hokage and a specialist in medical jutsu."

Moriyo, shifted Sayuri's weight in her arms, and turned to Jiraya with a smirk. "All right then. Good luck with that."

Gai stepped up behind her and smiled. "Please find Lady Tsunade and bring her back to us, Lord Jiraya!"

"Don't worry about it! We'll find her! You two take care of Sasuke and Sayuri!" Naruto exclaimed with determination.

Gai laughed and leaned over as he tried to pull something out of his vest. "Naruto you've got guts, I like kids like you! Here I'm giving you this…it's what the reason why Lee is so strong."

Perking up at the thought of being stronger Naruto smiled. "What? WHAT?"

"THIS!" Gai held out a green spandex suit at which Moriyo and Jiraya sweat dropped, while Naruto looked at it as if it was the greatest thing in the universe as he snatched it away from the jounin's hands.

"All right Gai, let's go." Moriyo said as she turned on her heel.

"But I haven't explained to Naruto-"

"I'm sure he'll figure it out, it's just a suit. Come on! These kids need to be treated immediately!"

"Roger!" he turned to Naruto one last time and smiled, giving him a thumbs up before rushing out of the hotel and into the rooftops.

"Hey kid." Naruto turned to Moriyo just as he was stuffing the suit into his pack. "I suggest you don't wear that." Smiling at his confused look Moriyo bowed before jumping out of the hole and following Gai's trail.

**A.N.**

**Thank you all for the reviews! :D **


	27. The Light

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

The Light

It was dark…so dark. There was nothing. He was laying down. He felt as if he were floating. Why was it so dark? Where was he? How did he get here?

"**You don't have enough hate."**

_Itachi!_ The name came to mind followed by an image of the older Uchiha. He had fought his brother after he attacked…_Sayuri!_ An image of the young smiling girl replaced that of his brothers. _Where is she? _The image of the happy young girl was quickly replaced by one of Sayuri lying on the ground, unconscious.

He gritted his teeth. _Damn it! _He _wasn't_ strong enough. He wasn't _strong _enough! _Damn it all! _The image of the unconscious girl disappeared leaving him back in the empty dark place.

His brother had wanted nothing to do with him, yet for some reason he wanted to deal with Naruto! The idiot! Clenching his fists he growled at the image of the smiling blonde that manifested itself in front of him.

_I've hated him! How can I not have enough hate? That's all I've lived for! To kill him…to make him pay for what he did to my family! So how?_ He brought his hand up to his face. _I've become weak! I've let myself get attached! _His eyes widened at the sight of his arm slowly disappearing.

_What the…? _He looked down at his own body to see the darkness slowly start to engulf it. His gaze was brought back to his hand, and to his horror it was slowly being eaten by the darkness that surrounded him.

He froze. What could he do? Be taken in? Be eaten alive by the nothing that surrounded him? Yes…that was it. He had to give in to the dark. He had to-

"Sasuke…"

_That voice…_ The teen thought recognizing the echoing sound. His attention was brought over to his right where a small flicker of light began to break through.

"Sasuke…?" The voice called out again, this time light became a bit brighter.

He watched as the light began to move, first to the left then to the right. "Sasuke?" The voice called again louder this time.

The Uchiha looked away from the light. _No this is what I have to do. I have to give myself in. I…_

"Sasuke!" The voice sounded closer. "Sasuke, please!" It sounded frantic now.

_I can't!_ He gritted his teeth willing himself to look at the light that slowly began to dim before illuminating once more.

"Damn it Uchiha! Where are you?"

_No more. I can't let myself become attached! _

"Sasuke!" The light was directly over him now, the voice coming from it sounded relieved. Suddenly the small orb of light began to change shape until it became an outline of a body; the Uchiha closed his eyes at the brightness of it.

He felt something touch his shoulder, opening his dark eyes he looked at it stunned at how the darkness receded back and away from the small hand surrounded by a faint glow, almost as if it was afraid of it. His eyes slowly traced up the arm to the shoulder up the neck and unto the owners face.

His cold black met warm brown. His attention was brought to the light pink lips as a small sigh escaped them. "There you are…" Sasuke sat up to get a better look at the girl before him.

Auburn hair that almost reached her shoulders, a light brown right eye and a dark brown left, fair skin… "Sayuri…"

A small smile played on the girls lips. "Of course it's me! I've been looking for you…" she turned her face away from him, a light pink tint dusting her cheeks. "You had me worried for a bit..."

Bringing his hand up to her chin he turned her face to him; coal black eyes widened, as he finally noticed the faint glow that was cast around her.

The pink on her cheeks darkened a bit. "Sa…Sasuke we need to go now." The girl pulled away and offered a hand, he stared. "Well? What are you waiting for? We don't have all day you know."

Hesitantly he took it and she pulled him up. Standing straight he looked down at the young girl who tilted her head, a gesture for him to follow as she began to walk away, the light that she had brought with her slowly receding the further away she got from him.

"Keep up, Sasuke." She called over her shoulder, the Uchiha pocketing his hands, picked up his pace slightly.

XXX

"He's waking up!" A doctor said enthusiastically. Suddenly two nurses were on either side of the bed while at the foot of it stood a pink haired girl, hands clenched at her heart as she stared down at the young Uchiha.

His eyes blinked open, his gaze unfocused. _There's a lot of white…_ he thought as he stared at the ceiling before slowly sitting up.

"Sasuke!" his gaze turned to his pink haired teammate as she smiled, a look of relief on her face.

"Are you ok?" one of the nurses asked him.

"Do you need us to bring you anything?" the other asked as the doctor looked over him.

Sasuke grunted in response. "Well it looks like you will be fine." The doctor smiled as he scribbled something on his clipboard. "Come ladies, we need to look over the other patients." The nurses bowed and turned to follow the doctor out of the room.

"I'm glad you're ok, Sasuke." Sakura spoke as she sat down on the chair next to his bed. "I…was so worried."

"Where's Sayuri?"

"Huh?" the question caught Sakura off guard. _Sayuri…? What does he want with Sayuri? _Emerald eyes searched the Uchiha's face for an answer, but sighed when she found none. "She's in the next room…the doctors can't figure out how to wake her up."

He gripped the bed sheets tightly. _Of course not. You wouldn't make it easy for anyone…would you brother._

"You must be hungry!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "I'll go get you an apple!"

He barely registered the door closing behind his teammate as she left, his thoughts on the girl that had brought him back from his darkness.

XXX

"How is she, Moriyo?" The woman in question handed the masked jounin an onigiri.

"The doctors can't figure out how to wake her…" she sighed as she looked down at her own rice ball.

Kakashi patted her shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure she'll come around sooner or later."

Moriyo shook her head. "I promised to protect and guide her…but look at the mess that we have now."

"Trust me…" a voice interrupted from the door way. "If you hadn't come along I seriously doubt she would have assumed her responsibility as the daughter of the former ANBU head and taken over."

"Kenji's right." Kakashi added from his spot on the bed. "That girl would have most likely thrown a fit over it and put all the work on poor Kenji!"Moriyo smiled as the two men laughed.

"Did she tell you who chose to lead the ANBU before all this happened?" the female of the three asked.

Kenji shook his head. "No, she was supposed to look over the candidates yesterday night and choose today."

"I see…" Kakashi nodded.

"You look like you have something you want to say." Moriyo said regarding the silver haired jounin curiously.

Kakashi glanced at the konoichi before looking off to the window. "I do." He turned back to Kenji. "What's going to happen…?"

The dark haired jounin chuckled. "You mean with the ANBU and Lady Sayuri?" The silver haired man nodded. "Well…Lady Sayuri is still too young to run the organization on her own, she might have inherited it from her father, but she must prove herself worthy of the position first."

"And who decides if she's worthy or not?" Moriyo asked.

"The entire organization." Moriyo frowned at his answer. "She must go through the same process as any other aspiring ANBU member, she must earn her way by being called into the ANBU by the new head, after that, when she's ready, she has to go through a series of tests to become the head and assume her rightful role as the leader of the organization... Just like the rest of the Marihasha clan heads have done since it's development with the second Hokage."

"What kind of tests…?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Well, the first test is becoming captain." Kakashi answered this time. "The next is earning the respect of all the ANBU members, considering how most think that Sayuri's a temperamental, stubborn, spoiled brat…which lets admit, she kind of is. The third is to defeat all the ANBU captains, including the head, in one match."

Bright orange eyes widened in surprise. "_All _of them?" Both men nodded.

"If she manages that, then she can be the head of the ANBU. The only reason why we let her temporarily take over was to show her what to expect once she actually reaches the position." Kenji said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"That, and the fact that if any one of the ANBU captains suddenly announced that they'd be the head, we'd have a riot in our hands from the rest of the organization." Kakashi added.

Moriyo bit into her rice ball and swallowed. "I see…Well then it would seem that I need to up her training regime, if she wants to beat all the captain and the new head any time soon." She finished with a smile.

XXX

The room was quiet…and dark, Neji noted as he stood next to the hospital bed. White eyes looked over to the windows, the curtains keeping the light out, he frowned. _Lady Sayuri wouldn't like that._ He made his way over to them and pulled them open, letting the sun's light shine through the windows.

Taking a seat next to her bed he looked over the now, unscratched girl. "You're so reckless." He said after a minute of silence. Neji sighed and ran a hand trough his hair eyes focusing on the bell around her neck. "But of course, you'd go after the Uchiha…he's your _teammate_ after all."

Neji looked down at his hand, holding small white flowers. "Lady Hinata asked me to bring these to replace the dying ones…she says that they are for health." He chuckled lightly. "Who knew Pear Blossoms meant health?"

His eyes flickered over to the young girl on the bed. "Our relationship is still…strained. But I'm trying to fix it…like you told me to, years ago." He stood up to put the flowers in the vase. "It's a lot harder than I thought it would be though."

He sat back down and looked at Sayuri, taking her hand in his. "Next time instead of just being stubborn and jumping into something without thinking first…you should come to me." He sighed as he turned his gaze back out the window while the young girl slept.

XXX

A young raven haired teen was walking down the street, hands in pockets. "Sasuke!" he stopped in his tracks and turned to see Sakura running towards him.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "Um..I was wondering if…you wanted to go eat with me?" she asked a hopeful expression on her face.

"No thanks." He continued on his way down the street. Sakura faltered before catching up to him.

"A walk then?" she tried.

"I'm not going for a walk, Sakura." He sighed.

The pink haired girl looked at him in confusion. "You're not?"

"No."

Walking in silence Sakura frowned. "Then where are you going?"

"Somewhere."

"Where?" Sasuke stopped and turned to her, his gaze intense making the pink haired girl blush.

"I don't have to tell you anything, but since you seem so insistent on knowing, I'm going to see Sayuri." And with that he turned away from the love struck girl and continued his walk to the hospital.

Sakura stood frozen in her spot in shock. "He's…he's going to visit Sayuri…" her voice trailed off, as she looked down at the ground realizing that she was losing…to an eleven year old.

XXX

"Man, I hope that blonde kid comes here soon!" Hajime said hands behind his head as he walked out of the hospital room followed by Diachi.

"Yeah…" the brunette agreed as he closed the door behind him.

The two made their way down the hall in silence until one of them noticed a certain Uchiha heading their way. Both stopped to watch as Sasuke completely ignored them, opened the door to Sayuri's room and closed it with a small click.

"Was that…?" Hajime asked.

"Yes." Diachi answered.

"And did he just…?"

"Yes…"

Both stared at the hospital door in bewilderment.

XXX

Coal black eyes roamed the room, noting the red and pink light from the setting sun. "You got the east wing instead of the west…" he said as he sat down on the chair next to the bed. "They should know by now that you like sunrises."

He looked at the sleeping girl with the same stoic expression. "You…" he started. "You were in my dream." He sighed. "You're annoying here and you're annoying there. Can I never have a moments rest from you?"

He glared at Sayuri. "If you had stayed here and minded your own business, you wouldn't have ended up like this."

_It isn't her fault you're weak._ The thought came suddenly making his fist clench tightly. That's right, it was his fault. If he had been stronger he would have killed Itachi before Sayuri arrived…but instead…The image of his brother easily dodging his Chidori and snapping his wrist filled his mind. _I was weak…I still am weak._ "Damn it!"

His coal black eyes looked out the window. _Why the hell am I even here? She's not going to wake up. So why did I come?_ He looked back at Sayuri who's only indication of being alive was the rise and fall of her chest. For some reason seeing her like that made his chest tighten uncomfortably.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. "Why won't you let me go?" he demanded but the girl didn't answer. "You came for me just as I was going to give in…why did you stop me?"

He looked at her, the feeling in his chest increasing in discomfort. Slowly he placed a hand on her cheek. _What is it about you that won't let me be? _He wondered as he slowly began to lean forward, the feeling of his stomach knotting suddenly made itself know to him. "What the hell…are you doing to me…Sayuri?" he mumbled leaning forward and pressing his lips lightly to hers.

He felt his breath catch before pulling back. He looked down at her, still only a few inches away from her face.

The door to the room suddenly opened and the Uchiha quickly pulled back. At the door Moriyo stood her head tilted to a side as she took in the Uchiha standing very close to Sayuri's bed.

"Shouldn't you be going home kid?" she asked, but got a grunt as a response as the teen moved past her, out the door and down the hall. She sighed and turned to Sayuri, a small smile on her lips.

**A.N.**

**Ok so this chapter is mostly to let you guys know what's going on with the ANBU to clear things up. No, Sayuri is not really the head of the organization yet; she has to earn her way like everybody else. If you have any questions please review the story, also tell me what you think of the chapter :)**

**Thank you! **


	28. A Memory Amongst Many

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

A Memory Amongst Many

Sayuri stood at the center of the slowly crowding room. There were shades of red and gold all around her, while the people there talked and laughed making it a very noisy and lively atmosphere. Most of them had drinks in their hands, others had wondered off to the far corner of the room for food. There were children with their mothers, while others happily ran around playing with one another.

"Sayuri?" she nearly jumped when a hand was placed on her head. A light chuckle came from the person who stood behind her. Slowly turning she looked up at an elderly man with bright red eyes and graying black hair. He smiled down at her and patted her head.

"Grandfather!" she beamed and hugged his torso while the man chuckled and caressed her cheek.

"What are you doing here without your father?" the man asked. "Did you get lost?"

Sayuri blushed and shook her head. "No!" Her blush deepened at the sound of her grandfather laughing full heartedly at her expense.

"Come…" he held out an aging hand which she took all too eagerly. "Let's go find your father."

They walked around the room, from one end to another, occasionally stopping to talk to some of the people that had gathered there.

Her grandfather stopped near a table and took a glass of the drink that was being served. "Oh how I hate these dang festivals…" he sighed and smiled down at the young girl. "They're always too crowded. I don't understand why the rest of the clan can't celebrate the festival on their own." Sayuri giggled and nodded in agreement. She looked to her right and spotted a mirror against the wall.

"We'll stay here until we see Yūkan, I'm sure he's looking for you." He instructed as he looked around the room while drinking from his glass, Sayuri didn't answer as she was too distracted by her reflection.

Long auburn hair that reached a bit past her shoulders, a dark blue kimono with a bright red obi tied around her waist, short bangs that framed her small face, drawing attention to her eyes, her right eye ruby red while her left was a sapphire blue. Sayuri frowned.

"Grandfather…?"

The old man turned and tilted his head to a side. "What is it, Sayuri?"

Sayuri looked at her small hand still in her grandfather's larger one and bit her lip. "Why aren't I normal?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know…my eyes they're…they're _weird._" Her grandfather smiled.

"They're not weird, they're special."

"Special…? How?"

"Well, your mother had eyes like yours…"

"Yeah…but hers were blue not two different colors." She pouted and he chuckled.

Her grandfather patted her head. "Yes, but your mother was not of our clan. Our clan's eyes indicate our chakra nature."

Sayuri tilted her head at this. "Chakra nature…?"

He nodded. "Yes, like fire, lightning, earth, air, and water. For example your fathers and my eyes are red, meaning we have a fire type chakra nature, your aunt Kaminari had golden yellow eyes so hers was lightning."

"So was mother's chakra nature water?"

"No actually it was lightning, but because of her clans own kekkei genkai they could summon water at will." He smiled at her confusion. "This is too complicated for a child like you. To put it simply, your mother's eye color didn't tell us what her chakra nature was."

"No? Why?" Sayuri wondered, brow furrowed.

"Because she was not of our clan. If she had been her eyes would have been a yellow shade or tint. Her eye condition is called heterochromia, meaning that she, like you, has different colored eyes." He took a sip and continued. "She passed down that trait to you, but she had one sapphire blue eye while the other was a more turquoise color."

"Oh…" She mumbled then looked up at her grandfather. "So then if my eyes are red and blue…then that means that my chakra nature is water and fire?"

Her grandfather laughed. "Yes!" he patted her head and took another sip of his drink. "Do you want some?"

Sayuri shook her head. "No thank you, I'm not thirsty." Sayuri looked at her grandfather than at the looked around the room, her gaze focusing on their eyes. _Red, green, yellow, purple, red, red, yellow, purple, green…_ The young girl squinted and searched the room once more this time focusing on the children. _Green, green, purple, yellow, purple, red, purple, green, yellow…_

The old man eyed his granddaughter and tugged at her hand. "What's wrong?" he asked once he saw her pout.

"I only see red, purple, green, and yellow…" she turned to her grandfather in wonder. "The people here have fire, wind, earth, and lightning, types of chakra…but there's no blue…no water."

"Now that's not true, there's one right here." He gestured at her and she blinked up at him.

"Am I the only one that has a water chakra nature?" the old man nodded. "Why?"

"Because the Marihasha clan is mostly fire dominant, it's extremely rare for any of us to have a water type of chakra nature." Sayuri's eyes widened recognizing the voice as she turned to her right.

"Father!" she exclaimed clinging to his leg. The dark haired man bent down to pick up the young girl and smiled.

"I've been looking all over for you."

"Hello, Yūkan." The tall man turned to the aging one and smiled before bowing.

"Hello Father, thank you for looking after Sayuri. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

The old man laughed. "Of course not! Oh, forgive me I didn't see you there, Danzo. Would the two of you like a drink?"

Sayuri turned to see a man that stood next to her father. His left side was completely bandaged and he wore a black and white kimono.

The elderly man wrapped in bandages, named Danzo bowed then straightened up. "No thank you, Lord Kaori."

"I would." Yukan said as he took the drink his father handed to him

Danzo then turned to the small girl in her father's arms. "Your daughter is quite pretty, Lord Yūkan." Sayuri shied away from the old man. "How old is she?"

Yūkan smiled thinly. "She'll be turning six in spring."

"So you're five, now…Lady Sayuri?"

She looked at her father who nodded his head, an unspoken 'go ahead'. "Yes…" she said a small smile on her lips as she met his gaze, but for some odd reason she felt as if the man was not really listening to her…he seemed on edge, like he was looking for something. _He's strange…_ she thought.

"Sayuri," the girl in question turned her attention to her father. "I left a scroll in my office, its white and has a red sting tied around it, could you bring it here?"

Sayuri nodded her head. "Yes father!" Yūkan gingerly set his daughter down and watched her retreating form.

"I'm sure your daughter will grow up to become a very fine shinobi." Danzo said.

Yūkan narrowed his eyes at the man. "She won't be a shinobi."

"Ah…" the bandaged man nodded. "A beautiful bride then…" he said with a smug look.

Kaori frowned at the older male.

XXX

A sigh escaped from the tall blonde haired man as he opened his blue green eyes. He removed his hand from Sayuri's forehead and shook his head.

"It's no use." He started. "I can't seem to find an entrance, it's like Itachi put a barrier to keep anyone from entering Lady Sayuri's mind."

"Well that does it." Moriyo huffed. "If neither Kurenai nor Inoichi could break it then there really is nothing we can do." Behind her Kurenai quietly patted her shoulder.

"Do you have any idea as to why he'd put her under genjutsu?" Inoichi Yamanaka asked as he straightened up.

"Ha! Heck if I know." Moriyo crossed her arms and glared out the window recalling the conversation she had with Kakashi a few hours earlier.

"**Why doesn't Sayuri remember?" Moriyo's whisper almost went unnoticed by her silver haired companion had he not been looking at her. **

"**You mean why she doesn't remember you or anything in general?" Moriyo turned to him, orange orbs wide in shock. "I guess no one told you exactly how much she had forgotten."**

"**What…" she hesitated for a bit before continuing. "What exactly is the extent of her amnesia?" **

**Kakashi sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. "She has no idea as to what had happened to her clan or her mother…Saito told me that the day after the Uchiha clan massacre she woke up with no memory of what had happened the years before…she didn't even know who Saito was."**

**Moriyo's brow furrowed. "But she was able to remember Kaminari's technique…and she knows who her mother and father were…she knows what her clan was so then-"**

"**That's because Saito filled in the gaps as much as he could. He tried to get her to remember several times but gave up once she entered the academy…He said that it was like there was a dam blocking everything that happened, every memory of anyone before she was eight."**

**Moriyo nodded. "Some sort of ninjutsu then?"**

**Bright orange eyes watched as the masked shinobi rubbed his chin. "Ah…But lately it would seem that Sayuri has been having dreams about her childhood."**

"**Could whatever dam that was placed in her mind be fading?"**

**Kakashi looked at her then, "Or cracking."**

"Moriyo?" Kurenai shook her by the shoulder lightly. "What's wrong?"

The woman looked up to see that Inoichi as well as Kenji, Asuma, and Kurenai were staring at her intently. "It's just that…what if…what if she's not under a genjutsu? What if it's a ninjutsu hidden _by_ a genjutsu?"

Inoichi frowned. "And what purpose would that serve?"

"To incapacitate Sayuri…to either keeping her from remembering any more of her past or to forcibly make her remember." Both Kurenai and Asuma looked over at the girl.

"That…could actually be a possibility." Asuma said after a few seconds of deliberating.

"How so?" Kurenai asked, confusion on her face.

"According to Saito there could possibly be a ninjutsu that was placed on Lady Sayuri, intended to make her forget her childhood. He also said that she had been having dreams about her mother…if that's the case then it could very possibly be that after so many years her mind is finding a way to slowly let her remember some of her past at a rate that she herself can come to terms with." Kenji answered.

"There's a 'but' isn't there." Kurenai sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kenji nodded. "But if for some reason she were to remember everything by force, there'd be no way for her mind to sort out through all the information…it could possibly lead to…" he trailed off looking at Sayuri as she slept.

"She could lose her mind…" The blonde Yamanaka muttered while he glared out the window. "She went through some traumatic events…it does her no good to be simply thrust into her past like that."

Kurenai crossed her arms and looked about the room. "So if he somehow figured out that her memories had been repressed, in order to hurt her, he'd make her remember?"

"That, or make sure that her memory stays repressed in case there's any part of her memory that ties him to the murder of the Marihasha clan...Or if he himself was the one that put it there in the first place." Asuma added.

Inoichi ran a hand down his face with a sigh. "There's no way of me knowing what it is exactly that's going on while her mind is so guarded like that!"

The four jounin looked at the blonde Yamanaka as he tried to enter Sayuri's mind again.

XXX

Sayuri quietly slid the door shut behind her as she stepped out of her father's office a scroll in hand. Making her way towards the celebration she stopped by the kitchen hoping to find one of the cooks with some sweets.

Sayuri frowned when she found that the kitchen was completely empty. "Hello?" she wondered further inside. "Is anyone here? I wanted to see if you made any dumplings…?" Sayuri asked as she looked around the kitchen and still no answer.

She pouted and turned to the pantry door. "Huh?" she looked at a small puddle of red coming from under it and stepped back. "Did someone drop some juice?" Sayuri wondered as she reached for the door knob to open it. Suddenly a body fell forward causing Sayuri to stumble and fall flat on her back.

She lay frozen in shock before she willed herself to move. Squirming from under the body and sighed in relief once she was free. Hands trembling she reached to turn over the body her eyes widening as she screamed.

Scrambling out of the kitchen, scroll forgotten on the floor, she ran towards the crowded room. "Fahter!" she cried out "Father!" Sayuri ran down the hallway towards the brightly lit room. "Fa-" she stopped as she stared at the scene before her.

Everyone around her was on the floor unconscious. Creeping forward she spotted her father and grandfather on the ground. "Father!" she cried out as she tried to shake him away "Father please wake up!" she said as she turned him to her noticing the thin pieces of metal that were embedded on his chest, a kunai in his hands.

A crackling sound caught her attention to the hallway as fire quickly began to spread out into the room and up the walls. Frozen in fear she watched as the fire began to spread up into the ceiling while simultaneously catching the mantel of the tables on fire. The fire spread to the table she had been next to and she gasped.

"Father! There's fire! Please wake up!" she cried and turned to the man lying next to him. "Grandfather, wake up!" she looked around her as smoke slowly began to rise. "Wake up!" she yelled.

A small piece of burning wood floated down onto the floor beside her. Sayuri looked up, teary eyes wide as she watched one of the logs that held up the roof engulfed by flame, slowly begin crack until it fell loose from its position, falling towards her.

Sayuri moved to cover her head just before she was snatched up and away from the log as it fell to the ground.

"Hold on!" Sayuri tilted her face up to see a young masked ANBU. He ran towards a window but skidded to a stop as the roof suddenly caved in. "Damn!" he cursed as he turned on his heel while adjusting Sayuri so as to hold her with one arm. "Keep your head down, Sayuri." He instructed as he pressed her head into the crook of his neck.

_That voice!_ Sayuri turned her face up. "Itachi?" she asked.

"Yes. Now do as I say and keep your head down. We have to get out of here."

"But father…!" Itachi turned to the unconscious man then looked away and ran towards the window on the opposite end. "Wait!" Sayuri said as she tried to push against Itachi's chest. "What about father?"

Her question went ignored as Itachi smashed through the window and rolled on the ground. Quickly he got up and rushed towards the exit of the compound.

Sayuri moved to look over Itachi's shoulder and gasped as she watched in horror as the entire Marihasha compound was burned to the ground. Once again Sayuri screamed.

XXX

"Call the nurse!" Sasuke yelled at Sakura as he stood over Sayuri's screaming and trashing form.

Frantically the pink haired teen ran out into the hall passing a certain Hyūga boy who quickly caught her by the wrist "What's going on?"

Sakura's mouth moved to explain but was quickly cut off by another ear piercing scream. Alarmed Neji rushed over to Sayuri's room only to find Sasuke keeping the trashing girl down by the shoulders.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Neji yelled as he made his way over to Sayuri's bed. "Get away from her!" the Hyūga pushed Sasuke aside. "This is all your fault!"

Sasuke growled. "My fault?"

"Oh my!" The doctor interrupted as he ran up to the bed and held a hand over Sayuri's forehead. Slowly she began to calm down.

Sakura entered the room followed by a nurse, jade green eyes taking in the two fuming clan prodigies.

"Nurse, I'm going to have to ask you to stay by Lady Sayuri's side in case another outburst occurs." The young female nodded.

"Yes sir!"

Once he made sure that Sayuri had calm down and that her breathing had become regular he turned to the three genin. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Lady Sayuri needs to be monitored closely so if you wouldn't mind, please come back tomorrow."

Sasuke shot Neji one last glare before marching out the door. Sakura looked after Sasuke's retreating form before bowing to the doctor and nurse and rushing after the Uchiha.

Neji who had just arrived clenched his fist and turned to the nurse. "Would you please replace the dying flowers with these?" The nurse gave him a small smile and nodded as he too walked out of the room.

"I'll have to inform Moriyo and Inoichi of this…Keep a close eye on her."

The nurse nodded watching as the doctor headed out of the room. Turning to the sleeping girl the nurse sighed, replacing the flowers quickly before taking a seat.

**A.N**

**Comments? Concerns? Tell me what you think. Please review :)**

**Thank you! **


	29. Evanesce and Reinstatement

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you**

Evanesce and Reinstatement

Sasuke and Sakura watched over Sayuri as she slept. Well it was more like Sasuke was watching her while Sakura was watching him. The room was silent, the flowers in her vase had been replaced a couple of hours before.

"May I come in?" both Sasuke and Sakura turned around to see a blonde woman enter the room.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked from his spot on the chair.

_She's beautiful…_Sakura thought as she stood up to properly greet the woman.

Suddenly Naruto popped out from behind her a grin on his face. "It's ok you guys this is Tsunade, Sayuri will be fine now. She's a great doctor!" Sasuke stood and moved away as the woman stepped closer to the bed.

"I heard about you from Gai sensei…" Sakura said as she bowed. "Please help Sayuri…"

Tsunade grinned down at the pink haired girl. "Alright! Leave it all to me!" The group watched as the blonde medic placed a hand over Sayuri's forehead, a bright green glow emanating from it. Tsunade frowned as the green glow intensified.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked as he moved closer to the bed.

The glow slowly began to recede and Tsunade stepped away. "She'll be fine now…well physically speaking. Mentally is another thing…I'll have to check up on her once she wakes up."

"Mentally?" Sasuke started. "What do you mean mentally?"

The blonde woman turned to Sasuke and crossed her arms. "I mean that, from what I've been told, she might not be all that well…there could be some mental damage or there could be nothing. I would still like to check once she wakes up."

Naruto nodded before moving out the door catching everyone's attention. "This way."

XXX

"I can't believe you were put in such a state by two enemies." Tsunade chastised Kakashi as she finished. "I thought you were supposed to be a genius!"

The silver haired jounin didn't look at the blonde as he sat up. Beside's him Moriyo tried to stiffen a laugh while Kenji smirked.

"Forget about this idiot! Please take a look at my student Lee!" Gai desperately asked as he pointed towards the door.

XXX

"Knock, knock!" Sakura turned just as Moriyo stepped in followed by Kenji and a now walking Kakashi.

"Sensei!" Sakura exclaimed clearly relieved to see her teacher up and moving.

"Sakura…" He saluted as he closed the door behind him.

Moriyo walked up to Sayuri's bed and examined her. "Lady Tsunade said that she had already looked over her…so why hasn't she woken up yet?" The dark haired woman wondered.

Sakura frowned. "She did but…I don't know…" Her jade green eyes wondered over to Sasuke who stared out the window. A small grunt caught all of their attention as they all turned to look at Sayuri.

Eyes blinking she stared at the ceiling with a hazed look. Slowly she sat up and looked about the room.

"Sayuri!" Sakura was the first to break the silence.

"Hey kid, how are you feeling?" Moriyo asked.

Sasuke stepped forward as did Kakashi and Kenji.

Sayuri blinked and looked from one to another; slowly confusion displayed itself freely on her face. "Who are you people?"

Both Sakura and Moriyo gasped. Sasuke's eyes widened, while Kakashi and Kenji took a step back.

_Oh no…_Kenji thought as he ran a hand through his hair. "I better call Lady Tsunade." Kakashi nodded; his gaze still on his youngest pupil.

Sasuke's fist tightened as he stared at the lost girl before him. _Itachi…_

"**You don't have enough hate."** His older brother's voice echoed through his head. Slowly he began to remember his brother easily dodging and returning every one of his hits.

He glanced at Sakura and back at Sayuri remembering what had happened a few days after the Sand and Sound invasion was over.

"**Sasuke…" The black haired teen turned to Sakura. "I just wanted to thank you…for saving me from Gaara's sand." **

**Sayuri, who was on his other side, glanced over at the two before returning her attention back to Naruto had was trying to get Kakashi to teach him the chidori.**

"**It wasn't me." He grunted and turned back to his blonde teammate.**

**Sakura laughed lightly. "Oh Sasuke, you don't have to be so modest-"**

"**It wasn't me…It was Naruto." He stated again. "He fought hard, summoning power that I didn't even know he had, to save you." **

"**Oh…" Sakura mumble as she looked over to Naruto a small smile on her face. Sasuke looked away from her and to the brunette next to him who laughed at the blonde as he concentrated on making his own chidori.**

He's being left behind! _If I had been stronger than this…_He looked at Sayuri who was quietly listening to Moriyo and Sakura. _Wouldn't have happened…_He gritted his teeth. _And the idiot is getting stronger and stronger while I stay the same!_

_He's taking this a lot harder than I thought…_Kakashi looked over his student, noticing his stiff posture.

Suddenly the door burst open as Naruto came in. "Hey guys guess what! Iruka sensei told me that Sayuri got promoted to Chunnin…" the blonde trailed off noticing the tension in the room. "What's going on…?" His eyes focused on Sakura then on Kakashi and finally on Sasuke, the Uchiha however ignored him and glared at the ground.

"And who's he?" a voice caught Naruto's attention.

"Huh?" the blonde asked as he stepped closer to the bed. "Sayuri?"

Sakura turned back to the girl. "He's Naruto…" the rosette girl said softly.

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto demanded.

"She lost her memory you moron!" Sasuke growled.

Naruto turned to Sasuke shocked at the anger of his tone. "Wha…what?" Sasuke looked up then glared daggers at Naruto who looked back at Sasuke in shock and anger.

"Calm down." Kakashi warned. "Now's not the time to be arguing, you'll scare Sayuri."

Sasuke then turned to the brunette on the bed that looked at him with mild shock. "It's ok, Sayuri…they're always like that." Sakura said in an attempt to settle the girl's nerves.

The door to the room opened as Tsunade entered followed by Kenji. "So you're finally awake." Tsunade smiled down at Sayuri while Moriyo and Sakura took a step back.

"Perhaps it would be best if you three stepped outside." Kakashi instructed. Sasuke stood his ground and glared at his teacher before moving to the door followed by Naruto and Sakura.

The four adults waited for the door to close before turning back to Sayuri.

"All right, tell me what it is you remember…" Sayuri looked up at the woman, glancing over at Moriyo who have her a small nod.

"I…I don't remember anything…" she whispered and looked down at the sheets. "I feel like I should but…"

Tsunade pursed her lips and sat on the bed facing Sayuri. "I'm going to see if I can take a look inside your mind, all right?" Sayuri nodded as Tsunade lifted her hands on either side of her head and closed her eyes in concentration.

Kakashi, Kenji, and Moriyo watched as the medic frowned after a couple of seconds and focused more chakra into the palms of her hands. After a long minute Tsunade pulled away, a sorry look on her face.

"Tell me what you remember now..." The blonde instructed.

Sayuri looked down at her hands. "Nothing."

"What do you know?"

The girl looked up at her. "I…Just know that I'm Sayuri…since everyone keeps calling me that…and that I'm supposed to know these people."

The three jounin looked at each other before turning to Tsunade.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do." The blonde medic announced.

"Nothing?" Moriyo asked incredulous. "What do you mean _nothing_?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I can't take a look into her mind, something's in the way…we can try getting the Yamanaka clan to look at her and tell us what's wrong…there's no damage to her brain I can say for sure. All I can deduce by this is that it's more of a personal problem. Not something physical."

Kenji looked down at the girl who looked incredibly lost as she looked about the room. "So what do we do?"

"You wait…it could be temporary. Maybe all she needs is triggers, but I can't say for sure." Sayuri looked up at the ceiling and tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong?" Tsunade asked.

"I think…someone's fighting." Sayuri said, brow furrowed. "On the roof…?"

Kakashi narrowed his eye. _They wouldn't… _he thought as he moved to open the door and looked at the hallway. He gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but it would seem that two of my students don't understand boundaries." He turned back to the people in the room. "Excuse me."

XXX

_It's been two weeks…_Tsunade thought as she read over Sayuri's medical report from the Yamanaka clan. _And still nothing!_ The blonde woman clenched her hands and sighed putting the folder down, looking up at the young girl that sat on the other side of her desk.

Sayuri gave the woman a small smile. "I'm-" she stopped as Tsunade held up a hand.

"It's not your fault. I was hoping to be able to give you your chunnin vest today but…" The blonde hokage shook her head. "No matter, we'll try again until we get something." Sayuri nodded and bowed before leaving the Hokage's office.

Sayuri looked at the sky as she stepped outside the building. She made her way towards the market, a route that she had become accustomed to as she walked home. The brunette stopped by the Academy as something caught her attention.

_A swing…?_ Sayuri wondered why she hadn't noticed it before and moved to sit on it. Using her heel to start it off, she quietly swung her feet back and forth raising her higher into the air.

_Why can't I remember? _Sayuri wondered. _I've been through test after test, after test…and still nothing. _Sayuri's mind wondered over to the happy blonde boy that always too her out to eat ramen.

_Naruto… _She sighed. _He keeps taking me everywhere trying to help me remember, Sakura talks about missions we've been in, Kakashi and Moriyo sensei train me…all so that maybe, somehow I'd remember something…but…_

"Hey, Sayuri!"

The girl in question looked up to see a silver haired teen,_ Hajime_, and his brunette companion,_ Diachi._ She knew them all by name…all because Naruto had introduced them to her, but they were all just faces with names now, these people held no meaning to her. _Or they had at one point._

"Hello." She said bringing the swing to a stop. Hajime grinned at her while Diachi smiled.

"I hear that Naruto and the other's are coming back from their mission…want to come see them?" Diachi offered.

Sayuri smiled and nodded her head. The two led the way all the while talking animatedly to her over the missions they'd gone in while she was being tested.

_Why do they even try? _She wondered as she smiled and nodded while Hajime was blabbering away over something that Sayuri was not really paying attention to. _I know that they all wish I was Sayuri…the real Sayuri…and not this empty shell._ They came to a halt and watched as Kakashi led the way followed by Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

_Sasuke… _Sayuri's gaze on the dark haired boy of the trio. She hadn't seen him since the day she woke up…and for some odd reason that bothered her, well more like infuriated her, but she wouldn't let it show. Her fist clench and her jaw tightened. _Oh what do I care! I barely even know the guy! _She thought as she willed herself to relax. _But I _did_ know him._ Sayuri winced, all this thinking made her head hurt.

"Hey! Sayuri!" Her attention was drawn over to the blonde who rushed towards her, clearly catching the other two by surprise. "How are you?"

She smiled. "I'm good, how was your mission?" she watched the blonde scratch his head and grin as he started to explain everything.

Slowly her gaze traveled over to the dark haired boy who stood a couple of feet away from the group. He looked up catching her gaze and her eyes widened a blush creeping onto her face out of embarrassment for being caught staring.

"Hey Sayuri, are you ok?" Naruto asked as he poked her cheek. "You're face is red."

"A-ah…it's nothing!" Sayuri said as she backed away, waving her hands in the air and shaking her head.

Sakura stepped forwards and smiled down at Sayuri. "Do you want to come eat with us, Sayuri?"

She looked at Sakura then at Naruto and finally Sasuke. "No…no thank you I have to get back to Kenji…" She answered while sneaking a glance at the Uchiha.

"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked this time, looking up from his book, which Sayuri had recently learned was actually porn.

Sayuri smiled. "Yes, but thank you any way." She turned to Hajime and Diachi and smiled. "And thank you for bringing me here."

Hajime was the first to answer. "It's no problem."

"See you around." Diachi said as Sayuri turned to walk away.

"Well! Let's go eat!" Naruto exclaimed happily until he spotted Sasuke as he left the area.

"Sasuke where are you going? Don't you want to come?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not hungry." The Uchiha answered and made his way further into the village ignoring Naruto's protests.

XXX

"**Two weeks Uchiha, that's all we'll give you."** Sasuke stared up at the sky from his spot on the roof. **"You have to decide by then. To come with us and gain power with the help of Lord Orochimaru or stay here and waste away any potential you might have left."** Sasuke banged his fist on the roof.

_Time's up…I have to choose now. _Sasuke thought an image of Sakura, Naruto, and Sayuri came to mind only to be quickly replaced by that of his brother's. A small sound caught his attention and he turned, glaring, only to find Sayuri standing by the entrance to the roof.

"Sorry, I'll leave." She took a step back and turned.

"Wait!" Sayuri froze and turned around. "You…don't have to go." Playing with the sleeve of her outfit Sayuri made her way over to the stair case and sat a few feet away from Sasuke.

He watched, from the corner of his eye, as she looked up at the sky a small smile on her face. She watched as the sun slowly began to make it's descend in order to make way for the night.

"I like sunrises." Sayuri finally said. "For some reason I always wake up just in time to see them…" Sayuri turned her head to him as she said this. She looked down at the ground a small frown on her face. "I wish I knew why."

Sasuke merely stared at the girl, barely registering the fact that the sun had now completely set. "It was a habit of yours…" Sayuri looked up at him then, while he looked away. "You liked spicy food too…and you hated being called 'Lady.'"

Sayuri smiled at this. "There's no reason to say it in the past tense…I'm still here you know. Maybe not as a whole but in pieces, either way I'm still here…Uchiha." He turned to her then, eyes wide as she stood up and dusted herself off, while Sasuke watched as she giggled. "You know for some reason I feel like calling you by your last name rather than your first…sorry if that offends you."

She looked up to meet coal black eyes and took a step back_ When did he get so close?_ She wondered. "I-I should get-" Her eyes widened as she felt Sasuke place a hand on her neck. "U-um…Sasuke?" she asked to afraid to move, realizing too late what he was about to do.

She felt warm lips press against hers, a dark blush spread across her cheeks. Pushing him away she glared. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded as he smirked.

"See you, Marihasha." And with that he disappeared.

XXX

Sayuri calmly walked across the bride leading towards the Academy when she spotted Neji. _He's always here…_ Sayuri thought a smile gracing her features. Neji was, like Naruto, always taking her to places in hopes of making her remember up until recently when he just stopped and let it be.

Strangely enough the brunette girl appreaciated that. She felt bad enough as it was when some of the genin, that Naruto had introduced her to, would talk to her and she had no clue as to what is was they were talking about, and she didn't need to feel worse when the others would show her things or take her to places in hopes that something would trigger her memory only to let their hopes die in the end.

"Good morning." He greeted and Sayuri smiled.

"Good morning, Neji." She looked around before turning to him. "Are you waiting for something?"

Neji tilted his head. "Not in particular…do you want to go for a walk?" This type of question and answer had become, in a way, scripted for the two followed by Sayuri giving a curt nod as they walked side by side through the village. They stopped midway once they spotted Sakura sitting by a bench near the village gates.

"Sakura?" the rosette girl froze and looked up at Sayuri, concern on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked as she was only used to seeing the pink haired girl smile…or shout in anger and annoyance, but never cry.

"It's Sasuke…He left the village." Sayuri's eyes widened. "He went with Orochimaru!" Next to her Neji stiffened, he had heard of the snake ninja from his teacher.

"Have you gone to the Hokage?" he asked and Sakura shook her head. "Come we have to tell her at once." Neji turned to Sayuri apologetically. "Forgive me but I have to take care of this first."

Sayuri nodded robotically watching as Neji and Sakura made their way to the Hokage tower before making her way back home.

_He left…But yesterday…_Sayuri thought back to the night before. _No he couldn't have left…there must be a mistake…_She thought as she walked through the village ignoring the ruckus around her. _How will Naruto take it?_ The thought came so suddenly that she looked up in confusion.

From what she had seen, Naruto and Sasuke hated each other. _No…that's not it you got it wrong! They're friends!_ Sayuri froze her hand on the door knob to her home. _What was _that_?_ She asked herself as she opened the door, making her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

She stepped inside, and brought her hand up to her face and watched as it trembled. Her eyes widened and she clasped her hands to her chest. Moving over to her desk she sat down, and spotted the framed picture.

They were teammates, and that picture proved it…not like it mattered considering she didn't remember anything…she didn't even really know them. Or she had known them, before all this happened…_In any case it doesn't matter anymore! What's done is done!_ Sayuri slumped on her chair.

_Then why does my chest hurt when I think about him? _She thought as she stared at the picture, mostly focusing on Sasuke. Shaking her head she moved to reach for a scroll but knocked it off the desk instead. Sighing in her seat she reached down, searching the ground with her hand until it came into contact with something hard and rectangular.

Brow furrowed Sayuri picked it up and brought it to eyelevel._ A box? _ Placing it on her desk she opened it and saw a dark red kunai inside. "What the…?" she mumbled as she picked it up touching her pointer finger at the tip of it. She squinted at it and turned the metal object spotting a small fan symbol imbedded on it.

Her eyes widened recognizing the symbol as being one that Sasuke had worn on his back.

**"I forgot! I need to give you something!"Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head as he watched her search frantically on her person.**

**XXX**

"**Hey…are you feeling ok? We can…talk about it if you…" She trailed off as he looked down at her, his expression unreadable. Finally she felt her cheeks warm and she was sure she was turning red as a tomato so she pulled away.**

**Sasuke watched as she moved to play with her sleeve. "I-I mean i-if you want!" Her eyes widened. Why the heck am I stuttering! I sound like one of his blabbering fan girls! She thought in disgust. "But you don't have to! Forget I-" she was cut off as he pulled her against his chest and all she could do was stand frozen in shock.**

**The two stood in silence. "Sasuke…?" Sayuri began shifting slightly but the Uchiha tightened his hold. Again she tried to move but again he only tightened his hold.**

**"Stop moving!"He growled and at this Sayuri stilled and let the teen hold on to her for as long as he wished.**

**XXX**

**"I'm glad you're ok…Sasuke." She whispered her hand slowly squeezing around his. The Uchiha stiffened before slowly returning the gesture.**

**XXX**

_His hand is…emitting lightning!_** Sayuri thought as she stared at her teammate completely engrossed. Next to her Shikamaru was studying her as if she were a new puzzle.**

**XXX**

**"You won!" Naruto exclaimed as he paraded the girl around the arena.**

**"Naru…Naruto put me down!" Sayuri protested as she tugged at his blonde locks. Naruto ignored her and twirled.**

**"Huh?" The blonde stopped as he saw Sasuke land in front of him.**

**"Put her down idiot! You're causing a scene." The Uchiha said, black eyes narrowing.**

**"Aww come on Sasuke! Sayuri won, you should celebrate!" Naruto whined.**

**XXX**

**Sasuke approached Sayuri as everyone turned to leave. "Your hair's longer." He commented looking at her almost shoulder length hair.**

**"Yes…Moriyo sensei wouldn't let me cut it." She said after a couple of seconds. "You're hair grew too…new outfit?"**

**XXX**

**She peeked at him when she heard him shift. He took out a small box and put it between them. "What's that?"**

**"It's yours."**

**She raised an eyebrow at him "What…?"**

**"Just take it." He kept his eyes fixed on the sky. "If you want it take it, if you don't just throw it away." She watched as he began to walk up the hill before graving the small black box.**

**"Hey Uchiha!" he turned slightly to her. "…Thank you…." He turned and continued to walk away leaving her alone once again. With a small sigh she opened her present and took out a small necklace with a silver bell on it, she quirked an eyebrow and smirked. **_What am I? A cat?_** She smiled at it and put it on.**

**XXX**

**"OVER THERE!"**

**"Aaaaah!" Sayuri screamed latching on to the closest thing to her. She pried open her eyes and saw that Naruto had thrown a kunai at nothing.**

**"I…uh guess it was only a mouse." Naruto said dismissing the fact that he had just put the entire group in a state of panic.**

**"NARUTO! DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Sayuri yelled at the blonde who laughed nervously.**

**"Sorry, Sayu- whoa!" Naruto pointed at her. She gave him a weird look unsure of what he was pointing at.**

**"Sayuri! Let go of my- I mean Sasuke!" Sakura screamed mortified.**

**"…?" She looked at herself then at what she had encircled her arms to. Looking down at her was the Uchiha who seemed to be frozen in his spot. "Ah! S-sorry! I- I uh…" she let go of him, like he had just burned her, and put her hands in front of her, waving them frantically, a light shade of pink filling her cheeks.**

**XXX**

**With a sigh Sasuke looked down at his food and brought it up to Naruto's face. "Here."**

**XXX**

**Turning to him, she smiled down. "Need help?" she asked innocently, teasing him.**

**Sasuke glared at Sayuri before she droped down to her knees with a sigh. Placing her hands on the ground she began to move them side to side, as if she were sweeping the dirt, and slowly the earth around him began to shift until he was free. "Here…" she held out her hand but Sasuke ignored it and pulled himself out.**

**XXX**

**"Me, right? My name is Naruto Uzumaki! What I like is instant cup ramen!" he fixed his headband slightly. "What I like even more is when Iruka sensei treats me to Ichiraku ramen! What I hate is the three minute wait after I pour in the boiling water. My dream is to become Hokage! Then all the villagers will have no choice but accept and acknowledge me!"**

**"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are plenty of things I hate, not that it matters considering that there is almost nothing I like. It seems pointless to talk about dreams, that's just a word…But what I do have is ambition. I plan to restore my clan, and kill…a certain someone." The raven haired boy finished of with an intense glare.**

**"I'm Sakura Haruno. My favorite thing is…well it's not a thing, it's a person…" Sayuri watched as Sakura glances back at Sasuke and giggled turning a light shade of pink. "Umm…my dream is…" She turned a dark shade of red and buried her face in her hands. "My hobbies are…" she glances back at Sasuke once more and giggled the blush on her face deepening.**

The kunai fell out of her hands and on to the desk with a clang. Getting up she ran down the stairs and out her house, heading towards the village gate until she collided face first into someone's chest.

"Sayuri?" The girl in question looked up to meet white orbs.

"Neji!" she exclaimed and hugged his torso. The Hyūga was taken aback by her sudden outburst and pulled her away to look her over. "What is it? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He demanded but the girl in his arms shook her head.

"Sasuke! He's gone! We need to bring Sasuke back!" His eyes widened watching as her eyes began to tear up.

"Sayuri?" he asked as the girl looked up at him.

**A.N.**

**Ok this has to be the longest chapter I've written. I understand if there is some confusion please let me know if anyone if this occurs. Otherwise…Comments? Please Review :)**

**Thank you!**


	30. Distress

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

Distress

"Neji where are we going?" the young brunette demanded as she tugged at her arm while the Hyūga prodigy led her further into the village. She looked up once he stopped then turned to him in question. "The Hokage's tower?" Neji nodded and began to lead her up the stairs towards the fifths office.

"Oh, Hello!" A young woman in a purple Kimono said as she exited the room. "Is there something you needed?"

"We're looking for the fifth, she needs to check Lady Sayuri…her memory seems to have returned."

The young woman's eyes wondered over to Sayuri who glanced around the hallway looking as if she was on edge. "So you're Lady Sayuri." She smiled.

"Just Sayuri please." She said and turned to Neji. "This can wait, the longer we stay here the further away Sasuke gets!"

Suddenly the door the room opened and out came the blonde Hokage. Her hazel eyes looked from Neji to Sayuri before settling on the younger woman. "Shizune, what are the Hyūga and Marihasha doing outside my office?"

The young woman straightened up and bowed. "Lady Tsunade, it would seem that Lady Sayuri's memory has returned."

"Is that so?" Tsunade said as she looked down at the young heiress.

_So this is the new Hokage…_Sayuri thought as she looked over the blonde busty woman. "Yes, but I can't stay, I need to go find Sasuke!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. We need to make sure this isn't a temporary thing before we let you out of the village."

"But-" Sayuri stopped when the woman held up a hand.

"This isn't negotiable, your status as heiress puts you at high risk of kidnapping as it is, I don't want you wondering off because you lost your memory again…I'll have the a member of the Yamanaka clan evaluate you once again." She turned to the young brunette woman. "Shizune you are to accompany Lady Sayuri and see through the evaluation. I'll be heading to the hospital in order to perform that surgery on Lee."

"Yes ma'am!" Shizune bowed as the Hokage began to leave.

"But what about Sasuke?" Sayuri called out. Tsunade paused and turned around to look at the girl.

"I gave Shikamaru a thirty minute time limit to gather a team of genin to head after the Uchiha."

Sayuri bit her lip. "But my evaluation won't be done in thirty minutes…will it."

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

Neji's eyes narrowed as he watched the young brunette stiffen before slowly clenching her hands. He placed a hand on her shoulder catching her attention. "I'll go." He watched as her eyes widened in surprise. "I'll…help bring the Uchiha back. You focus on passing your evaluation."

"Neji…" he gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

_Who knew the Hyūga had a soft spot for this one._ Tsunade thought with a small smile. "All right! We've got no time to waste, let's move!"

XXX

Sayuri paced back and forth around the room while Shizune read over her medical reports.

_Name: Sayuri Marihasha_

_Father: Yukan Marihasha_

_Mother: Nagisa Mizuchi_

_Date of birth: April 18_

_Blood type: AB-_

_Height: 4'8''_

_Weight: 70 lbs_

_Hair color: Auburn _

_Eye color: Red(right), Blue (left)_

_Born with red right eye and blue left? But how is that possible? Her eye colors are dark and light brown! _Shizune wondered as she narrowed her eyes. _I'll have to ask her guardian about this later._

"When is that Yamanaka guy coming?" Sayuri exclaimed as she stopped by the bed catching Shizune's attention.

"Don't worry I'm sure that he's on his way." The young woman answered as she turned back to her file. "You look a lot like your father, did you know that?"

Sayuri turned to her then brow furrowed. "My father? Really?"

Shizune nodded her head. "Yes, although you have your mother's eyes and hair…I think." She laughed. "I can't really tell since you have it so short."

Sayuri moved to sit on the extra chair and faced the older brunette. "Did you know my parents?"

With a smile she nodded. "Not personally, but I do remember seeing them around the village when I was younger…" she giggled then. "You're father used to follow your mother around like a lost puppy, she on the other hand wouldn't give him the time of day."

"Really?" The young girl asked as she leaned forward.

"Yes. Your mother was so serious and your father was so outgoing…You know, I never saw Lady Nagisa laugh with anyone who wasn't your father. I think I remember hearing something about the clan elders not wanting Lord Yūkan to marry your mother."

Sayuri quirked an eyebrow at the woman. "Do you know why?"

Shizune tilted her head to the side and tapped a finger on her chin in thought. "I think it was something about the clan's kekkei genkai not being passed down…or something like that."

"The elders were worried about me not having the clan's kekkei genkai?" Sayuri murmured.

"Well yes…I think so." Shizune looked at the girl before her. "But you have it…don't you?"

"I-" the door opened then and in came Inoichi followed closely behind by Ino.

"Sayuri?" the blonde girl asked.

"You know her?" The male asked turning to his daughter.

Ino smiled. "Yes, she's in Sasuke's team…right!"

Sayuri nodded her head as the man stepped closer to her. "Sorry I was late, the doctor that was supposed to see you had an emergency…in any case I will do for this evaluation." He smiled. "Please lay down on the bed."

The brunette did as she was told and felt as Inoichi put his hands on either side of her head and closed his eyes. Everything darkened around her, and she felt as if she were floating.

"I can't evaluate your condition if you don't let me inside, Lady Sayuri." She heard his voice echo around her.

"Inside? Inside where?" she asked confused.

"Inside your mind." He explained. "It's pretty well guarded I'll give you that…I can't seem to find an entrance anywhere…and when you had temporary amnesia you couldn't figure out a way to let anyone in. I was hoping that now that you've regained your memory that you'd be able to let me take a look."

Sayuri looked around her. _So I'm inside my mind? _Suddenly the darkness faded and she found herself floating next to a giant scroll.

"Can you hear me?" Inoichi's voice echoed.

"Ah… yes!" she looked around her. "I don't know how though."

"Look for a door." He instructed.

_A door…_She looked around her and sighed. "There's nothing here except a giant scroll."

Inoichi floated around the girl's brain he tried to touch it but an invisible barrier got in his way. "Lady Sayuri can you open the scroll? All you have to do is touch it."

Sayuri turned to the rolled up piece of rice paper and reached for it. Suddenly it opened revealing some writing on it.

"Did it open?"

"Yes…There are instructions for a seal…" she answered as she read the scroll.

Inoichi's brow furrowed. "A seal…? Try opening it some more…look for a way to undo the seal."

Sayuri touched the scroll again and it unraveled its self letting the paper spill down her feet until it stopped again. She leaned forwards and read it. "I think I found it!"

Inoichi stopped looking around the girl's brain. "Ok, do as it says."

"Right!" She brought her hands up to her chest and scanned the writing. _Monkey, dog, rooster, monkey, tiger, rat, dog, dragon…_ Narrowing her eyes she quickly performed the seals. Suddenly the scroll re-wrapped itself with a snap and disappeared.

Inoichi stepped back as suddenly a solid sphere became visible to him as it rapidly began to collapse. _She did it!_ He thought as he floated down to the right hemisphere. "All right I'll take it from here." He said as he placed a hand near her brain a scroll slowly sliding out and unraveling it's self.

Sayuri watched in amazement as images of her teammates began to speed past her, as well as those of her teachers. Memories of her missions began to emerge as well as those of her time with Saito. Small glimpses of her parents flew by and of her aunt before coming to a halt. Everything disappeared and she was once again surrounded in darkness.

"Lady Sayuri?" she heard a distinct male voice speak. "Open your eyes."

Her eyelids fluttered open and she winced away from the light, sitting up she looked about her. Ino had her head tilted to a side with curiosity in her eyes, her father stood behind her arms crossed and looking quite pleased with himself, and finally Shizune who was looking the girl over her dark eyes narrowed.

"Is that it?" she found herself asking, her attention on the male in the room. Inoichi nodded in confirmation and Sayuri sighed. "That didn't take too long." She muttered.

"What are you talking about?" her brown eyes turned to the blonde teen. "The whole process took almost two hours!"

"What…?" Sayuri asked as she turned back to Inoichi.

"It doesn't feel that way to you, but in actuality time passes by faster here than inside your mind."

_Their techniques is…amazing!_ Sayuri thought in disbelief as she moved to stand. "Am I cleared?" she wondered.

Inoichi smiled. "Yes, you're cleared." Sayuri brightened and began to move towards the door until she was stopped by a hand clutching her wrist.

"Lady Sayuri, you have to wait for Lady Tsunade."

"I don't understand!" Sayuri retorted pulling her hand out of Shizune's grasp. "I was cleared! I can go and help-"

The woman stood her full height and looked down at Sayuri. "It is dusk! You can't just run off without the Hokage's permission. You have no trackers with you, and all high ranking ninja are on mission, how exactly do you expect to find Shikamaru and his team when night comes?"

"Father what's going on?" Ino whispered over to man that stiffened slightly. He placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"I'll explain later." He then turned to the two scowling brunettes. "We'll be taking our leave now."

Shizune glanced at him and nodded before turning to Sayuri as the door closed with a soft click. "I understand-"

"No!" Sayuri interrupted. "You understand nothing! How can you? You didn't know him!"

Shizune took a seat on the bed and sighed. "That doesn't change the fact that, at the moment, there is nothing you can do. Don't be rash…I'm sure Moriyo and Kakashi would tell you the same thing."

XXX

Dark and light brown eyes narrowed as the blonde Hokage leaned forward, reading her medical report. "You've been cleared." Hazel eyes looked up from the report to narrow at the young girl before her. "But you can't go alone…Relax." She said as the girl tensed up. "I arranged for Shizune to bring Hajime and Diachi, they should be here in a few minutes," she paused and tilted her head. "Or maybe not."

The brunette turned as the door opened, Hajime walking in first followed by Diachi and Shizune, who held a box in her hands.

"Morning." Hajime greeted with a salute while Diachi smiled and gave her a curt nod.

"Shizune…" Tsunade ordered and her assistant fumbled over the box before presenting it to Sayuri who looked at it then turned to the fifth with a curious look on her face.

"Well…open it." She gestured. Cautiously Sayuri turned back to the box that Shizune held out and took the top off. Behind her Hajime whistled. "Congratulations on becoming a Chunnin." Tsunade said a smile on her lips as Sayuri gingerly took the green vest in her hands.

"Chunnin? But…" she trailed off remembering the day she had woken up seeing Naruto as he exclaimed that she had been promoted. "Oh…"

Tsunade smirked. "It would seem the counsel believes that you have shown enough skill to become a leader. Now…" The three young ninja and Shizune turned to the Hokage as she cleared her throat. "Your mission is this: Go after Shikamaru and his team, make sure that the members are ok and assist them in bringing back Sasuke Uchiha!"

"Yes ma'am!" the three said in unison before running out of the room heading towards the main gate.

**Please review. Thank you! :)**


	31. To Search and Find

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

To Search and Find

Three ninja sped through the trees in the early morning, only stopping for a moment to check their surroundings.

"They had to have passed through here...this place is littered with traps." Sayuri murmured as she crouched down on the ground examining it. "Can any of you sense anything?"

Hajime and Diachi formed a single seal closing their eyes in concentration. After a minute Hajime sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, I've got nothing." The silver haired genin turned to his teammate. "Diachi?" the brunette suddenly opened his eyes and pointed. "One o'clock…it's faint but there's chakra coming from over there."

"All right!" Hajime stated as he began to move forward but was quickly yanked back by the collar.

Light brown eyes narrowed as their owner pulled Hajime to his side. "Didn't you hear Sayuri this place is littered with traps!"

Sayuri put her weight on one foot and crossed her arms as she frowned at the silver haired teen. "Remind me again how you beat Diachi…"

"Bah!" the teen exclaimed and glared at the tree to his left.

Brown eyes examined the area around them as she looked up. "The trees have bombs on them too…" she backed up as she took out a couple of kunai. "But the bombs are easier to get rid off than trying to disable the traps below."

Diachi looked up at the trees and smirked. "Aren't you happy Hajime…you get to blow things up."A mischievous glint flashed through both of their eyes as they took out their own kunai and took aim.

XXX

"Choji?" Sayuri gasped as she landed softly on the grass as she made her way to him. Behind her Hajime and Diachi leaned forward, from their spot on a tree branch before moving to join their leader.

"Is it really him?" Hajime asked as he leaned over the boy while Sayuri inspected the damage.

"Yes, the marks on his cheeks give it away…but he's so thin." Diachi answered as he kneeled opposite Sayuri who placed a hand on the unconscious boy's forehead. Light brown eyes watched with amazement as a light green glow began to emanate from her hand.

"Whoah!" Hajime exclaimed. "You know medical jutsu!"

The green glow dulled before disappearing as Sayuri placed Choji's head down carefully. "Yes, but its basic…I just know enough to heal small injuries." Her eyes focused on the boy on the ground and picked up a small case next to him, bringing it up to eye level for a closer look. "He lost too much chakra he needs to be taken back to Konoha immediately."

"Say no more." Hajime patted Sayuri's head. "I'll take the guy."

Diachi turned to him in disbelief. "Are you sure?" the silver haired nodded.

"Positive! Just prop him on my back…besides I'm sure you're more than enough to help Sayuri." He winked at the girl before turning his back. Carefully Sayuri and Diachi placed Choji on Hajime's back, taking a step back as he stood.

"Take him straight to the hospital; tell them that he lost chakra from taking an entire case of soldier pills." The silver haired genin gave her a firm nod before heading off.

"Hey," Diachi called for the girl's attention. "Look at this." Sayuri turned to the teen whose focus was on the tree beside them.

Sayuri leaned forward. "Hurry up…We're waiting for you…" her hand traced over the carved writing and then the arrow. "They headed that way." The two took to the trees following the arrows along the way.

XXX

"What the-?" Moriyo mumbled as she turned away from Izumo and Kotetsu watching as a certain silver haired genin made his way to the gate.

"Is that Hajime?" Izumo asked Kotetsu who nodded in agreement.

Hajime stopped at the entrance as he spotted Moriyo who immediately rushed over to take a look at the boy on his back. "Is this the Akimichi boy?"

"Didn't you leave with Lady Sayuri a while ago?" Kotetsu wondered as he helped take Choji off his back.

"Wait, what?" Moriyo's orange eyes focused on the teen. "Sayuri's on a mission?"

Hajime nodded. "Yes, we were sent by Lady Tsunade to go after Sasuke after she was cleared for missions but we found Choji first. Sayuri and Diachi are on their way to find the rest."

"Sasuke?" The dark haired woman asked. "What's going on?" She turned to the Izumo and Kotetsu who took a step back and away from the dangerous woman.

"I'll explain on the way to the hospital. Sayuri told me that Choji is in a critical condition." Hajime interrupted eyes set with determination.

XXX

"The trail ends here." Diachi said as the two looked around the area looking for more arrows. "It's possible they encountered an enemy around this part."

Sayuri nodded as her eyes scanned the ground. Placing her hand on the trunk of the tree she froze before slowly pulling it away watching as a white substance hung loosely on her palm.

"What is _this_?" Sayuri asked as she shook her hand trying to get the white slime off. She growled and decided to pluck it out with her fingers and watched in amazement as the slime stretched from her palm.

Diachi was suddenly next to her as he took her palm and examined it. "It looks like…some sort of glue…kind of reminds me of the stuff that spiders use for their webs." He glanced down as he felt Sayuri edge closer to him.

"You…you mean there's _spiders_ around here?" she asked as slight tremble in her voice.

"Oh, that's right you're afraid of them…right?" Sayuri moved away and glared.

"I am not!" she blushed, a pout forming on her lips. "Those things are just gross, that's all…"

Diachi smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Sayuri scowled at him before moving to jump onto a lower tree branch before she screamed and scrambled to get off it.

"What?" Diachi asked as he landed in front of her kunai in hand.

"Giant web!" She exclaimed pointing at the branch where she had previously been on. Diachi sweat dropped and gave Sayuri a look.

"How you made chunnin is beyond me…" He sighed.

"What was that?" she growled.

"Nothing, nothing…" he smiled holding his hands up in a pacifying manner. Noticing that the girl's attention was elsewhere he moved closer. "What's wrong?"

She pointed at the ground. "There's a small crater there…it looks like the kind that Neji's heavenly spin leaves behind."

"And you would know that how?" Diachi asked but was promptly ignored.

Both ninja made their way down and examined the ground. "It looks like the dirt was moved around in a circular motion…you're right it looks like something from the Hyūga." The young girl looked around her and took a step forward squinting up a tree. "Sayuri?" he asked watching as she walked up the tree and leaned forward before leaping off. "Hey!" He called out as he ran after her.

Diachi trailed the young brunette as she jumped down following a path of destroyed trees before she came to a stop. Landing behind her he took a step forward before he froze at the sight before him. Two ninja, one from Sound and one from Konoha were on the ground before them.

"Neji!" Sayuri's voice called out snapping Diachi out of his shock. He looked at his right where the Sound ninja laid, no chakra coursing to his body, and then to his left where Sayuri was kneeling next to the Konoha genin cradling his head. "Neji can you hear me? Neji!" she asked as she held a hand over his chest a green glow coming out of her hand.

"He's lost too much blood." Diachi said as he kneeled down and placed a hand on his chest. "And there's a hole here…I'm amazed he lasted up until now." Sayuri's grip on Neji's shirt tightened. "He needs medical attention and fast…I can tell that his chakra is very low…he'll die if we don't get him back to the hospital soon."

Sayuri nodded but kept her head down. "I know…We need to hurry."

Diachi placed a hand on her shoulder and narrowed his eyes. "The mission is still going…I'll take Hyūga back, you go and get your teammate."

She looked up at him then, eyes wide. "But Neji-"

"Will be fine." Diachi cut her off. "I'm fast, I'll get him to the hospital. You complete the mission." Sayuri bit her lip before nodding.

"R-right!" she mumbled as she gently rested Neji's head in Diachi's arms before heading off.

With a sigh Diachi looked at the Hyūga in his arms. "Let's get you home."

XXX

"This isn't good…the boy took too many soldier pills…" Tsunade cursed under her breath as she looked over Choji.

"Uh, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune opened the door as the Hokage's eyes blazed from the interruption. "Forgive me but, Neji Hyūga was just brought back by Diachi in critical condition."

Tsunade broke her clipboard in two. _Damn it Orochimaru!_

XXX

Keeping straight, Sayuri hurried through the trees. _They're heading towards the boarder...from what I remember this is a direct way to it, all I have to do is catch up to them in time! _

Sayuri was brought to a stop as she felt a spike in chakra ahead of her. Brows furrowed she moved to jump down to the ground slowly making her way to a clearing. _Naruto?_ She wondered as she watched his clones rush at a white haired ninja at the center of it all only to be quickly taken down.

Her eyes wondered over to a large container and narrowed at the tags that were on it. _That must be where Sasuke is!_ Sayuri's train of thought was broken once she saw the ninja begin to rush at Naruto, weapon in hand.

"Earth Style: Earth spikes!" the ground in front of Naruto suddenly shut up causing his attacker to skid to a stop before back flipping to his original spot.

Two sets of eyes turned to watch as a young brunette stepped out into the clearing, eyes narrowed.

"Sayuri!" Naruto exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Is Sasuke in there?" The girl in question asked gesturing to the container to his left. The blonde gave her a firm nod.

"Sayuri…"

"It's ok Naruto…I know who you are." The boy turned to her in surprise and she gave him a reassuring smile before turning to the sound ninja. "We'll be taking Sasuke, tell Orochimaru that he can't have him."

The ninja narrowed his eyes at the two about to rush at them when smoke coming from the container caught his attention.

"I believe that this isn't for you to decide…and it would seem that it is almost time." He said a smug look on his face. Confused the two looked from the ninja to the container.

"Time?" Sayuri echoed. "Time for what?" However her question was answered as the smoke became heavier and the seals on the lid began to burn off. _What's going on?_

Suddenly the container burst open causing Sayuri to shield her face from the explosion and the smoke. Slowly she brought her hands down just as the smoke cleared watching as a long white haired and dark skinned Uchiha stood before them. Naruto and Sayuri watched as his hair began to shorten and grey until it turned black, and his skin slowly return back to its original white.

Sayuri blinked once as she stared at the Uchiha, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Sasuke what the hell are you doing with these guys?" Naruto suddenly exclaimed as he waved his hand at him."Lets head back! Come on!" Sayuri glanced over at the blonde and his antics before her attention was once again drawn to the Uchiha who began to laugh.

"Hey…Sasuke…." Naruto began as his initial shock began to wear off. "**CAN'T YOU HEAR ME, DAMN IT?**" the blonde growled causing Sayuri to flinch back.

It was then that Sasuke stopped laughing and Sayuri, watching his body tense for a jump clenched her hands.

"Sasuke…?" She whispered and he froze.

_Sayuri…? _Still in half a crouch the Uchiha looked over his shoulder. His face was passive as he looked over the young girl, finally meeting her brown hued eyes pausing for a brief second remembering the light from his dream. His eyes narrowed at her before turning away with a scoff. Closing his eyes he jumped off into the forest as his light began to slip away.

Naruto watched as his teammate's eyes widened in hurt as she watched the Uchiha jump off into the shrubbery. With a growl he moved to go after him until he felt someone behind him.

"It's useless...Die!" A voice came from behind the two. Sayuri moved quickly to catch the guy's arms seconds before his weapon sliced Naruto's head and quickly thrusting him over to the side.

Taking a defensive stance in front of Naruto, Sayuri's eyes narrowed. The blonde noticing her red rimmed eyes took a step forward.

"Sayu-" he stopped as the brunette held a hand up.

"Go after him, I'll take care of this one." Sayuri ordered.

"But-" He stopped short as his teammate turned her head slightly to glare at him.

"The longer you wait the further away he gets!" she urged glancing over at blonde momentarily "GO!". Naruto gave her a shaking nod of the head before rushing after the avenger.

Sayuri turned her attention back to the teen as he straightened up; she watched as he rolled his shoulders and looked after the orange clad ninja's figure.

"Lord Orochimaru will have Sasuke Uchiha whether you like it or not…" his green eyes looked over his opponent, "…Little girl." He added after his assessment of the young brunette.

Sayuri glared at the boy. "Naruto will get him back!"

"You seem to put a lot of faith on that one…perhaps…" he hunched slightly and popped his shoulder. "…I will let you live long enough for you to see how wrong you are." Sayuri's eyes widened as she watched the boy pull out a piece of humorous shaping it into a sharp like sword.

The white haired male rushed at her with the intent of cutting her down only to have her grip at his arm before aiming a kick at his face. Catching her leg he swung her around and let her go watching as she skidded to a stop. Raising his hand, palm face down, pieces of bone from his finger began to shoot at her like bullets. Thinking quickly she made the familiar hand signs creating a dome of revolving wind around her.

He put his arm down and watched as Sayuri stood up holding the sign of the tiger. "Fire Style: Fireball Justu!" she blew the familiar white flame and narrowly avoided being beheaded as she ducked down and swept his feet as he jumped in order to avoid the kick. Rolling to the side she made another series of hand signs. "Wind Style: Slashing Wind!" the air blew around them cutting him from several directions up until it stopped.

Looking up he spotted Sayuri a few feet away from him. "You're a ninjutsu user…" his eyes traveled to the pattern on her sleeve. "Marihasha…it makes sense."

_This guy…_the brunette wondered. _I know that jutsu should have done more damage than just a few scratches…what is he?_

"I'm from the Kaguya clan…" he held up his bone made sword. "This is my kekkei genkai..." He watched as Sayuri's brow furrowed. "You on the other hand…appear to have no kekkei genkai…"

_Wrong…I have an inborn healing ability…but as it is, it's not doing me any good._ She bit her lip as she placed a hand on her still wounded stomach. _It's still taking too much chakra to keep the wound from opening again…_

"I am Kimimaro." He said off handedly before looking pointedly at her. "I will make sure your life ends here."

"My name is Sayuri." The brunette answered as she gave him a smirk. "I'd like to see you try."

**A.N.**

**Sorry this took too long. Please comment and review! :)**

**Thank you for reading. :D**


	32. Unexpected Assistance

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.**

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.**

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

Unexpected Assistance

The two punched and kicked at each other, Sayuri managed to land a punch on his face while Kimimaro slashed at her leg. Taking out a kunai the brunette aimed it at his jugular only to have to pull away as he aimed a kick at her abdomen.

Twirling the piece of metal in her finger she rushed at him. The white haired ninja raised his arm as it suddenly was enclosed by spiked bone. Hissing she pushed away from him again as he swept at his legs.

Sayuri growled. _Everything I've tried so far doesn't work! I can't land a solid blow on him without sacrificing a limb! _She eyed the spiked bones on his arms and the receding ones on his chest. She rolled out of the way as Kimimaro jumped high above her, his bone sword aiming down and embedding itself onto the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Pillars!" trees from the surround area began to topple over as their roots quickly assembled themselves into a cage around the boy. Kimimaro yelled as he aimed his now bone encased arm at the wooden cell, effectively breaking it. "Water Style-" she stopped as she back flipped in order to avoid the bones that spiked out from under her.

Sayuri watched him smirk as he raised his hand, palm facing down, fingers pointed at her, suddenly his distal phalanges shot out like bullets. The young brunette jumped out of the way and cursed as she felt one imbed its self into her right arm and another in her left leg.

She fell on her good knee and glared at the white haired teen. _This isn't good…I'm running low on chakra!_ She watched as he slowly made his way over to her.

XXX

"_You!_" Diachi's light brown eyes widened as he was pulled back by the collar and slammed against the hospital wall. He looked up and was met by blazing orange eyes. "Where the hell is Sayuri?" she demanded through clenched teeth, her grip tightening on his arms.

"I…I, uh…"

"Moriyo sensei, Lady Tsunade said…" The brunette turned the corner, attention going from the fuming woman to his silver haired teammate as he trailed off taking in the scene. "Oh…hey there Diachi…" He laughed nervously and took a step back.

"You said that he was with her!" The dark haired woman growled.

Hajime's eyes darted over to his teammate and scratched his head. "Well he was but I guess now…he's not…?" the teen almost squeaked.

"No shit you moron!" She screeched.

"Now, now Moriyo..." the woman in question turned to see Kakashi as he stepped closer to the group. "I don't think that's any way to speak to children." He turned his attention to Diachi and tilted his head. "Now, for your sake, you better know where my student is." The jounin added with a smile as Diachi gulped.

XXX

Sayuri landed on her side with a grunt. _Damn it!_ She cursed as she struggled to get up in order to avoid being hit by his sharp bones. Back flipping she landed on both legs, before she leaned heavily on her right in order to ease the pain.

Sayuri watched as Kimimaro began to rush at her, his weapon in hand. Quickly she threw shuriken at him which he deflected with ease as he neared her and slashed her across the chest. Falling back Sayuri cried out in pain as she looked at the teen standing over her. Eyes widened as he plunged the bone sword down onto her chest.

He stepped back as a small pop sound came from the girl and dust revealed a wooden log. _Substitution…_He turned to scan the area.

Sayuri panted as she looked over her shoulder from behind a tree. Her eyes widening as she jumped away from it as it collapsed on the ground.

"You can't hide from me." Kimimaro drawled as he placed his hand down.

Sayuri looked at him and smiled. "Who's hiding?" Green eyes widened at as ground under him began to crack. Tree roots shot up and tied themselves around him and pulled him down. He pulled at the roots trying to break free but froze when he watched as water began to raise from around him.

"What…?" he began watching as the water accumulated around the young girl, her eyes briefly flashing two shades of blue. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" high above her head the dragon roared before crashing down on him.

_It's over…_She sighed but froze in horror as the boy that was washed up against the tree began to move. Falling back she watched as he turned his eyes onto her. Suddenly he was running towards her hands outstretched ready to tackle.

The young brunette finding no more energy to move closed her eyes, ready for the impact that never came. Opening one eye she watched a green clad ninja standing before her. "Lee?"

"Lady Sayuri, are you ok?" the teen asked not looking away from Kimimaro.

She nodded adding a whispered "Yes..."

"Good. Please rest…I will take care of him now."

"No…I told Naruto that I'd handle it." She mumbled as she willed herself to get up.

Lee looked her over then turned to Kimimaro. _Just like Neji had said…she likes to keep her word._ "All right then, but allow me to help you." Sayuri nodded in response as she glared at their opponent.

"Two against one…either way I will win." Kimimaro said straightened up.

"He can pull out bones from his body, so be careful."

Lee gave her a grin. "Not to worry Lady Sayuri, for what I can't do with jutsu I more than make up for with taijutsu."

Sayuri smiled. "Ah." She agreed before squatting down glancing at her leg and arm. Taking in a deep breath the two sprinted off towards their opponent.

XXX

Tsunade picked up the bottle of medicine by Lee's bedside table in though after Gai's explanation over his student's behavior. Suddenly the door slammed open, both ninja turning to the intruder.

"Sayuri is on her own!" Moriyo yelled followed closely behind by Kakashi. "We need you to let us go to her now!"

Tsunade's honey brown eyes looked at the two jounin and sighed. "She is not alone, Lee is probably with her by now."

"Lee?" Kakashi echoed. "Didn't you just perform surgery on him yesterday?"

"Ah, but it would seem he's quite the impatient one."

XXX

"Lady Sayuri, are you injured?" Lee asked as the two skidded back from Kimimaro. He watched as the girl shakily stood up and shook her head.

"No I'm fine." She gritted out ignoring the throbbing pain on her arm and leg. "Let's go!" the two ran at their opponent, Lee jumping into the air positioning himself into a heel kick that was quickly dodged. Meanwhile Sayuri appeared to the white haired teen's left aiming a punch at his face sending him flying across the field.

Shifting to stand up, he watched as Lee quickly made his way over to him aiming a series of kicks and punches that were all avoided. Just as he back flipped Sayuri came up behind Kimimaro aiming a kick at his chest only to have his ribs stick out in order to lessen the blow.

With a growl the girl pulled back readying herself to punch. "Stop!" Lee called out. Both Kimimaro and Sayuri turned to him, fists raised at each other. "Sorry, but it is time for my medicine." Both looked at each other before quickly pulling away.

They watched as Lee produced a small white bottle and pulled off the cork, drinking the entire thing. "Gah!" he spat out. "This medicine tastes so bitter!" the bowl headed ninja exclaimed trying to rid the taste from his mouth.

"Lee are you…" Sayuri trailed off as she watched the boy sway. His stance became sloppy and his cheeks were tinted a shade of red. "Lee…?" she couldn't take her eyes off the green clad ninja as he looked up to watch Kimimaro.

"What are _you_ looking at, freak?" Sayuri's eyes widened in shock.

_Is he drunk?_ Kimimaro wondered as he watched the boy sway. Suddenly the teen rushed at him aiming a series of sloppy kicks, and punches. _He's fast…and unpredictable!_ The white haired boy thought as he skidded back only to be kicked back making him land on his stomach. _What did he drink?_

Sayuri stood her ground as she watched Lee avoid each of Kimimaro's swipes by a hair all the while sending sloppy kicks and punches back as if there was no tomorrow. _Is that…the drunken fist?_ She wondered as Lee ran circles around the other. She watched as Kimimaro pulled down his sleeves revealing a curse mark on his collarbone before it partially spread down his right side.

"Lee!" Sayuri called out snapping out of her reverie before rushing over to pull the boy away from the other as his bone encased arm aimed at his head.

"Are you awake now?" the white haired boy asked as Lee grunted and held his head.

"Lady Sayuri?" he looked down at the non responding girl that helped him sit up. "What…?" He turned his gaze over to Kimimaro as he stood before them. Holding both palms face up towards their foreheads.

_When did he…?_ Lee wondered his eyes wide at how close Kimimaro was to them.

"You have impressive speed, and the two of you managed to land a couple of blows…but this is the end." The two watched in horror as a sharp bone began to break out of the skin.

Just as it shot out, however, a sudden explosion pushed the two back. Sayuri gasped as she landed on something soft instead of the hard ground. She watched in amazement as she was quickly pulled lifted up and out of the way, Lee right behind her, before being gently place on the ground.

The brunette turned to look up at their savior only to be left in complete and utter shock. "Gaara…of the Sand…?" she asked.

The red head for his part glance over at the young girl assessing her injuries. "Finger Bullets!" his attention was brought back to Kimimaro as his bone quickly made their way towards them. His sand suddenly appearing before him, stopping the bones in their tracks.

Sayuri watched as the pieces fell to the ground before turning her gaze back at the red head. "You're too hasty." He told the white haired ninja then to Lee, "When you fought me before you had more speed and edge to your moves."

"As if you didn't have anything to do with that." He responded as he got up.

The young brunette looked from one to the other in slight confusion before she remembered. _Of course…Gaara and Lee had fought in the preliminaries?_ She thought as she too began to stand.

"Why are you here?" Sayuri asked as she dusted her skirt off.

Gaara turned his teal green eyes to the young brunette as the sand began to flow back into his gourd. "I owe the Leaf a large debt."

Lee stood in a fighting stance and Sayuri's eyes widened in worry. "Lee, you're arm…"

He looked at it and smiled. "It's nothing to worry about, Lady Sayuri. Besides, you have your own injuries to tend to." That brought her attention back to the dulling pain on her body.

"I'll handle this…" Gaara added but stopped as Lee stepped forward.

"No! You can be the backup!" he instructed getting ready to run at Kimimaro again.

"Lee!" Sayuri called out before he was tripped by a sand arm that took hold of his ankle making him fall face flat on the sand.

"Please let go!" He yelled but flinched in pain.

"Hold still!" Sayuri kneeled before him examining his injuries.

Gaara looked over the two before stepping forward. "You can't do anything right now." The two watched as he stood in front of them. "I'll handle this."

_His sand is impenetrable…for_ him_ to get a hit on Gaara he'll need to get close, thankfully that's a lot easier said than done._ Sayuri though as she eyed the bones on Kimimaro's body. "Be careful, he uses his bones as weapons, he can control them at will."

Lee and Sayuri watched as the sand from his gourd launched at the white haired teen as swung his hand at Gaara who stopped the bones that were aimed at his head with his sand.

_He's speed hasn't diminished from the last time I met him…_Lee thought as he watched the sand strike at Kimimaro multiple times as the white haired male swung his hand at Gaara again only to have his finger bullets stopped by the sand as if it was child's play.

"What an idiotic name…you can't do anything without that sand of yours." Kimimaro taunted, Gaara was indifferent as ever as he stared down his opponent. "You can only control the amount of sand you can carry around with you, and that heavy gourd of yours is proof of that."

"Desert Rain…" Balls of sand hovered above him.

"How boring…" Kimimaro thought getting ready to jump only to find that he was being held in place by two sand arms.

"But if I have sand I can do anything." Gaara said as he held up his hand in an all too familiar position, with his palm facing his opponent fingers slightly drawn in. "And you're the foolish one." Gaara added as the sand around Kimimaro's ankles began to crawl up his legs. "It doesn't take any effort to make sand from the ground."

_I see he turned the rocks and mineral in the area into sand…it seems you are fit of your name! _Lee thought as he smiled.

Sayuri stared at the redhead with awe. _To be able to freely create sand of his own will…is completely amazing! _She thought as the sand pelted down on the white haired boy with great force.

"You got him!" Lee said happily.

"Not yet…" Both Lee and Sayuri turned to Gaara confused. "Sand Coffin!" he continued as he clenched his fists.

"Of course…" Sayuri muttered under her breath as the blood seeped through the sand. _His signature move…_she thought as she unconsciously touched her right arm. "What the…!" Sayuri exclaimed as the three watched Kimimaro slowly pull himself away from the cluster of sand.

"Those bones…" Sayuri's attention was brought back to the redhead. "What is he?"

"Another monster…" Gaara responded.

She turned back to the white haired male eyes widening at the sight. "His body is…littered with all those marks!" She pointed out as she brought herself up to her feet. _Just like Sasuke when…_The momory of the young Uchiha in the forest of death and in his battle with Gaara stopped all other thoughts. _A…Monster…?_ Briefly she remembered Sasuke's scowling face. _No._

"I was taking you too lightly…" Kimimaro began. "But this san will never catch me again."

Gaara stomped on the ground clapping his hands together making the wind pick up. _He's gathering a huge amount of chakra!_ Sayuri thought as she took a slight step back followed by Lee as the two watched a giant wave of sand shoot high into the air before crashing down completely engulfing a vast ammount of the forest.

"Did you get him?" Lee asked the young red head.

"No…" Both Lee and Sayuri watched as Gaara placed his palms on the sand for a final jutsu. "Sand Requiem!" Within seconds the ground began to shake as if an earthquake had just hit quickly followed by a slow, but very loud, rumble.

"This is…" Sayuri started as she looked at the sand before her and then to Gaara. "Unreal…" she whispered. His teal eyes swept to her momentarily before something caught his attention.

"How persistent…"

"Huh?" Lee wondered before turning back to the sand only to see something slowly emerging from it. "What in the world…?" he muttered, taking note of the darkened skin and added tail.

Once again Gaara raised his hands, palms up, before clenching them tightly. "Sand Coffin!"

Both Lee and Sayuri watched in horror as Kimimaro emerged from the sand before he rushed at them once again. The red head slammed his palm on the ground raising a sand wall but Kimimaro managed to blow it open as the force slammed the three young ninja back on the ground.

"Your absolute defense, which has garnered such high praise…is this its limit?" the teen asked but received no reply. "This is a real shame." Sayuri turned to her new ally just as his sand shield began to crack off. "But of course you were covered in sand to begin with…"

"He's not your only opponent! Have you forgotten about me?" Lee demanded as he aimed a kick at his neck. Kimimaro raised his tail to whack Lee away only to have Garaa's sand block the blow and send Lee back.

"Your sand is really starting to annoy me…" Kimimaro glared. "You will be the first to die!" All three watched as Kimimaro slowly pulled out his spinal cord before he held it before him as a sword. "**DANCE OF THE CAMELIA!**"

"**GARAA!**" Lee and Sayuri cried out as they watched sand form around the redhead effectively stopping Kimimaro's spinal cord from crushing him.

"**Flower!**" Kimimaro muttered as the bone began to wrap and grow around his free arm. "This is the thickest bone in my body…it will easily pierce through you and your pathetic sand defense." The teen coughed pausing for a small second. _My time is almost up…_

Garaa took note of Kimimaro's bloody cough before making his move. _Supreme Absolute Defense, Shield of Shukaku!_ Suddenly the tailed beast appeared between the two.

There was a small one second pause as the two stared each other down before Kimimaro began to pierce the sand daemon only to crack from the force that was pushed back against him.

"It's solid indeed…" the white haired teen noted.

"I collected the strongest materials from the underground…with chakra I pressurized them into dense sand around me." He pointedly looked at Kimimaro. "You…that ability of yours is a bloodline limit, isn't it?"

"The Kaguya clan…now it's my ability alone."

Garaa took the information in as he stared at his opponent. "You're the last of the clan..that means that here and now, your clan will be finished."

"That is not true…for I am not alone!" Sayuri's brow furrowed in confusion. "While I am fulfilling Lord Orochimaru's aspirations…I will stay in his heart forever!"

"Don't you see?" Sayuri yelled out angrily. "He's using you! He's brainwashing you until you have nothing left to call your own! You're senseless!" She growled.

Garaa clasped his hands into a single sign and his sand began swallowing Kimimaro. _This great ability has been overused…You have no chakra left…_ Garaa thought as the sand around him pushed against Kimimaro's spinal cord. _This is the end._ "You'll sink 200 meters underground and be held there with the pressure of the sand clinging to your body…you'll be unable to move even a finger."

The three watched as their opponent was swallowed whole by the redhead's sand. "It's finished…It's over now right?" Lee asked but both Garaa's and Sayuri's attention was on the ground below them.

"**DANCE OF THE SEEDLING FERNS!**" Suddenly bones began to spike from the area.

"LEE! GARAA!"The young girl yelled out as she jumped to her feet before she felt herself being swept up into the air. Looking down she watched as she rose higher towards the sky, sand wrapped securely around her waist before she was brought down gently over to where Garaa and Lee were, on top of large clumps of sand.

"Are you ok?" the young redhead asked as she was sat down next to him.

Sayuri looked at him in mild shock as she managed to nod her head and answer. "Y-yes…thank you."

"This is amazing…for you to be able to do this!" Lee said in wonder.

"It was an easy task…I used to travel like this throughout the sand village when I was younger." The three looked down at the spikes of bones. "He was stubborn…but in the end…he won't come back out."

"You're exhausted…" Sayuri uttered quietly as she began to form a couple of hand signs. "Here…let me try to-"

"**IT'S NOT BRAINWASHING! IT'S MY OWN WILL!**" They all froze as the hear Kimimaro's voice. They turned around to see Kimimaro's spear pointed at the female of the three. "**WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW?**" He swung his arm towards her but stopped just a few centimeters away from her forehead.

Sayuri's once warm green chakra had turned cold and blue, her light and dark brown eyes narrowed as her body tensed from the adrenaline. Blood trickled down Kimimaro's chin while Sayuri held her hand a few centimeters away from his chest.

Slowly Garaa reached out to her, placing a hand on her own. "He's dead." He muttered and watched as, slowly, her blue chakra faded. Her hand trembled in his while Lee reached over and patted her back.

"You're ok…you're safe Lady Sayuri." Lee assured.

The young girls lip trembled as she nodded. "Y-yeah…" she choked out before her body shook violently for a few seconds before she regained her composure. "I'm…ok."

**A.N.**

**Thank you for reading! :) **

**Oh and to answer a review, Sayuri is not necessarily stronger than Sasuke **_**or **_**Naruto as much as she is a bit more conniving than he is. **

**Please Review! :D**


	33. Return

**Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. **

**Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original. **

**Reviews are welcomed. Thank you.**

Return

The room wasn't dark, but lightly illuminated by the green chakra that was flowing through the numerous complicated seals that were drawn around a certain Hyuga. Shizune was able to divide her attention between the steady flow of her chakra and her medical team to whom she gave orders to.

Moriyo sat to her right, hands clasped together in front of her as she concentrated on the regeneration of the young boys cells. _We've been at this for _three_ hours…_She thought as small beads of sweat slowly slid down her forehead. The amount of chakra and concentration this procedure demanded was extremely overwhelming, not to mention the fact that her student was still yet to be heard of.

The door to the darkened room opened with a quiet creak as a nurse stepped inside. "Miss Shizune, Miss Moriyo…" the nurse asked and the two konoichi grunted in response. "Lady Sayuri was just brought into the hospital; she received two deep wounds and will be receiving treatment from the head of the hospital."

At the mention of her student's name Moriyo looked up, Shizune who had turned to look at her assistant sighed. "Kan, please switch with Moriyo." The doctor standing directly behind the other dark haired woman nodded.

"Ma'am!"

"Wait! We're not done here!" Moriyo retorted.

"Don't you want to see your student?" Shizune asked confused.

The young woman looked at the injured boy before her and shook her head. "No. She's back within the village walls…she's not in danger as long as she stays here." She responded. "Now let's keep going we need this boy to live…I don't know about you, but I really don't want to be the one that tells the Hyuga head that his younger brothers' memento died under our care."

With the thought of the Hiashi Hyuga quite literally killing them all, the team was further motivated to make sure the young Hyuga prodigy lived.

XXX

Nurses crowded around them but neither moved to take a better look at the girl that was currently in the redhead's arms. Lee, Sayuri, and Gaara stood at the lobby of the hospital while the nurses gave the three curious looks.

Why was Rock Lee happily standing next to _Gaara of the Sand_ the boy that had nearly destroyed his career as a shinobi? Why was Gaara of the Sand holding _Sayuri Marihasha _the girl he had tried to _kill_? What on earth was Gaara of the Sand doing inside the leaf village in the first place?

The young Marihasha blushed under the scrutiny before clearing her throat. "Lee has bleeding on his right arm and leg…I have two distal phalanges imbedded on my right arm and my left leg…Gaara suffered no injuries."

Was she really on a first name basis with her almost killer? Yes…yes she was. And did the redhead mind it? Not in the least.

Sayuri's eye twitched as she suddenly became very much annoyed by the wary onlookers. "Well…? What are you waiting for? You're damn nurses and doctors for crying out loud, we're not going to bite!"

At the sudden higher pitch of the young girls very much annoyed voice the medical staff began to move, quickly escorting Lee to a hospital room while the rest began to prepare a room for the very much aggravated Marihasha heiress as well as quickly retrieving a bed. As the white stretcher was rolled towards them, Gaara laid the young girl, carefully, on the cold bed and took a step back.

"Wait!" she stopped the nurses that began to roll her out to the operating room. Stretching out her uninjured arm, she offered the redhead her hand with a shy smile. Hesitantly he took it and was surprised to see her smile widen marginally. "Thank you." She gave his hand a light squeeze before she was rolled further into the building.

XXX

Kakashi paced back and forth outside an emergency room while Diachi and Hajime watched as they sat with a rigid posture on the couch. Soft footsteps caught their attention as they turned to see Moriyo make her way towards them. Releasing a heavy sigh she fell onto the couch letting her arms fall to her sides like that of a rag dolls.

"We saved him…" she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. "He'll be in the hospital for a couple of days but at least he's alive."

"Wow, Moriyo sensei! I didn't know that you were a medic nin!" Hajime exclaimed as he grinned leaning over Diachi to get a better look at the dark haired woman before he shrunk back at the murderous glare she sent his way.

"_You_…don't even dare talk to me!" she said through gritted teeth. "Don't think I've forgotten how you _lied_ and told me that Sayuri was with Diachi!"

Hajime gave her a look of disbelief. "I didn't lie!"

"Then explain to me why she arrived here with _Gaara of the Sand_ and _Rock Lee_? Not to mention the fact that she's in _surgery_!" Hajime gulped and pulled back. "Yeah…I thought so." The older woman rubbed her temples. "And to answer your question, no I'm not a medic…I just have really good chakra control…How is she?"

Kakashi cleared his throat before answering. "The doctor hasn't come out yet, but the nurse said that she's doing well."

"Good…well is good."

"You should go home." Kakashi said as he took out his porn.

Moriyo rolled her eyes. "While I appreciate your concern…" she eyed his orange book. "I think I'll stay here." She leaned her head back with a slow sigh as they waited for any news.

XXX

_He stood before her; arms crossed wearing the same old scowl. She found herself at a loss for words while he looked her up and down as if trying to figure her out. "Sasuke…?" she wondered out loud and he took a step towards her. Finding no power, or will, to move she stood her ground as she looked up at him._

_Suddenly she felt herself being pulled into his arms. Shocked she became rigid before she snapped back to her senses and tried to pull away only to have his arms tighten around her. _

"_Stay…." He murmured and she stilled as she clutched his navy blue shirt like it was a life line. "Don't leave." Suddenly she was alone; the young Uchiha's body had disappeared. Panicked she turned around only to come face to face with a dark gray skinned, grey eyed being._

_He barred his teeth with a low growl as he looked at her with a mix of curiosity and anger. He extended his hand towards her while all she could do was stare at it. Another low growl drew her attention to his face and she took note of the long dark blue hair that the being donned. Just as her eyes met his, his arm reached out to take hold of her forearm as he pulled her closer. _

_Sayuri gasped in surprise as he bent down to her eye level, grey eyes boring into hers. "Stay…" _

_Her eyes widened as she recognized the being as Sasuke Uchiha._ "He's a monster…" _Gaara's words echoed in her mind as she stared in shock at the grey skinned Uchiha. _A monster….?_ She wondered just as his free arm reached to stroke her cheek. "Sasuke?" she asked once more, suddenly his hand was on her neck._

Her brown eyes snapped open only to have her flinch back in pain from the blinding light and her first thought was that she felt like a log…no, not even a log...like a brick! She twitched as her brow scrunched up in annoyance. It was too white…too bright! And what was it with that incisive beeping sound? Could someone shut the stupid thing off?

She groaned, as a piercing head ache began to manifest itself. Opening one eye she eyed the heart monitor in mildly controlled anger. Reaching up to her face she pulled the air mask off and gasped at the fresh air. Her mouth felt dry and her throat felt sore…_I was screaming_. She vaguely figured as she turned lazily towards the desk, eyeing the small container of water. She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling cursing herself for feeling like a lazy lump.

"Remember, Moriyo-sensei said to be quiet…" she heard a voice order from behind her hospital door. "Can you manage that?"

"What?" There was a light shuffle and rustling of clothes before she heard a hissing sound.

"Just because you beat me at preliminaries doesn't mean I've stopped training, you hear me?" Sayuri would have raised an eyebrow if only she had the energy. Slowly the door opened revealing her two teammates.

"SAYURI!" The young grey haired teen cried out making her cringe. "Ouch!" he hissed and turned to glare at Diachi who had bopped him on the head.

"What did we talk about?" he pushed past the glaring teen and over to Sayuri. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok…" she winced at the sound of her dry throat. Quickly the brown haired teen filled up a cup of water and helped her drink it. "Thank you."

"Any pain anywhere?" She turned to look at Hajime who asked quietly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"A bit of a migraine…how are Naruto and Sasuke…" she paused at their sudden change in demeanor at the mention of the Uchiha's name.

Diachi took a seat on the chair next to her bed and sighed. "Sasuke didn't come back…Naruto did but he was heavily injured."

Sayuri stared at the two ninja for a minute before responding weakly. "Oh." She bit her lip as she nodded. _He really did it…he defected._ Sayuri took in a deep breath in an attempt to reel in her emotions. "How…how is Naruto?"

"He's good just sleeping, for now." Diachi filled her in.

"And Neji…?"

"Uh, he's out of intensive care." Diachi muttered. "He's been in and out of consciousness since yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Sayuri turned to Hajime then. "Didn't you bring him back yesterday?"

Hajime shifted in his spot under her scrutiny. "Actually I brought him back four days ago…you've kinda been out for four days."

Sayuri laid speechless at the news. _Three days…I've been unconscious for three days?_

"The doctors think that it's because you're body is still trying to become accustomed to the chakra that is has to keep distributing to the wound on your abdomen…you know because it hasn't healed yet and the only way to actually keep it closed is for you to keep redistributing chakra to the wound." Diachi explained watching carefully as Sayuri's arm moved to touch her abdomen where the wound was.

_That's right…the wound that Orochimaru gave me won't heal._ Her mind filled in as her hand clenched around her bed sheets. "I want to see him." Sayuri informed as she struggled to get herself up. "I want to see Neji." She clarified.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Sayuri." Hajime began but stopped at the glare that the young girl sent him. His green eyes shifted to his teammate who shrugged his shoulders and moved to help the girl out of her bed.

"Let's hurry before the nurse catches us." The young girl leaned heavily on Diachi as they walked down the hallway only to come to a stop at the last door. Hajime reached around them to turn the knob on the door. "He's out again…" Diachi commented as the stepped closer to the bed.

Hajime quickly pulled the chair closer to the bedside before moving to help Sayuri sit. "If you need anything we'll be right outside…ok?" All the grey haired ninja received for a response was a nod of the head. The two teens watched silently as Sayuri reached to take the sleeping Hyuga's hand in hers.

Diachi lightly elbowed Hajime and motioned towards the door, a silent signal that it was time for them to go. They shut the door quietly behind them leaving Sayuri alone with an unconscious Neji.

"I shouldn't have let you go…" Sayuri whispered as she looked over the sleeping teen. "It really wasn't any of your concern." She sighed and looked out the window. "He didn't come back, you know. He came out of that wooden bucket and ran away…he hurt Naruto." She closed her eyes because they began to prickle. "The idiot is probably with that _snake_…while we're all here in the hospital paying for his stupid mistake!" she said through gritted teeth as she bowed her head.

"Lady Sayuri…" said girl stiffened upon hearing her muttered name. "…You're crushing my hand." The young girl sat up to look at Neji who eyed his hand in hers with a slight wince.

"Ne…" His white orbs locked on her then and suddenly her arms were around his neck. "Neji!" she exclaimed holding him close to her. The teen awkwardly patted her back with his left hand as he eyed his now, thankfully free right one.

Neji Hyuga continued to pat the girls back in a slight haze. Although he was thankful that she was finally awake and safe he really didn't know what to make of her sudden outburst. In his entire six years of knowing her, Sayuri had only once, when she was six, gone to him for comfort and even then it was because she was afraid of the dark…it had been the reason why he had gone and bought her that teddy bear. Speaking of which did she even use it anymore? He briefly wondered until he felt something wet come in contact with his neck.

Was she crying? He asked himself as he shifted to pull her away from him and held her at arm's length. "Lady Sayuri…what's wrong?"

"Will you drop the honorific?" she bit out as she wiped her tears. "You know how much that annoys me."

"Right…" he nodded. "Why are you crying, Sayuri?"

She looked at him then and spoke. "It's my fault this happened to you…I'm sorry." She bowed her head. "He's gone…he put Naruto in the hospital and now he's gone."

"I know…" he put a hand on her shoulder. "…But everything will be fine." Sayuri lifted her head to look at him in the eye. "Uchiha will be back." And once again she found herself hugging the teen.

"Neji…?" Sayuri called.

"Hmm?" he answered.

"You suck at comforting hugs..." He stopped mid pat then and looked down at the girl. "…Thank you for trying."

The prodigy raised an eyebrow at her as he let his hand fall back onto her back and allowed her to hold him for as long as she needed.

XXX

The door to the white room swung open and Sayuri stopped putting on her sandals as she eyed the person at the door with annoyance. "You know…it's common courtesy to _knock_ before opening the door. I could have been changing, Naruto."

The blonde laughed as he scratched the back of his head with his usual sheep grin. "Sorry Sayuri!" Allowing himself in, he took the liberty to sit on her chair as his young teammate proceeded to put on her other sandal.

She glanced at him as she reached for the white wraps next to her. "What do you want?"

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "What? Can't I visit a dear friend on the day of her discharge from the hospital?"

Sayuri wrapped the white bandages around her left thigh quietly before moving to her right calf. "No." His cerulean eyes were suddenly saucers as she continued. "Sakura can, Hajime can, Diachi can, Neji can, heck even Shikamaru can! But _you_...?" she fastened the wrappings then graved her shuriken pouch. "You can't." she looked at him through her bangs. "Face it Naruto, you always want something…or at least have something to say. So spit it out."

His suddenly cheerful demeanor changed into that of seriousness. "So you can see right through me…huh?"

"Clear as day." She smirked and he chuckled.

"The nurses asked me to bring this to you…" he handed her a small paper bag. Sayuri opened it and took out its contents: her headband and a silver bell necklace. "The bell…he gave that to you right?" Sayuri nodded as she held the piece of jewelry. "I'll bring him back. I promise!" Sayuri looked up at her blonde teammate and took in his serious expression. "Ouch!" he yelped as he jumped back and rubbed his red cheek. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"Don't frown..." she grinned. "It doesn't suit you." Sayuri got up and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Good luck with your training Naruto. Next time I see you we'll see if you can manage to one up me."

He looked down at the girl in surprise before reverting back to his old self as he grinned. "You bet!"

**A.N**

**OK! So that's the end of part one :) The first chapter to part two will be up soon so be on the lookout for it! Thank you for reading and please follow up with the second part of "Slowly Slipping Away", it's name is "Gravity"**

**Please Review! I love reading what you have to say about the story and please feel free to pm me!**

**Thank you! :D**


	34. Gravity

The second part of the story _**Gravity**_is out! Please read and review it! Here is the summary that would not fit in the summary box because it's too long. Please go read and review it! Thank you! :)

Three years have passed since he had left. Three years and she was well on her way to fulfilling her childhood dream, but that uncomfortable feeling in her chest whenever his name was mentioned, or she so happened to come across his picture was still there making her rethink her dream. Maybe being head of the ANBU isn't all there is to it. SasukexOC


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